Silver Lining

Chapter Eight: Heist
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For the third day in a row Sakura opened sleepy eyes to find herself wrapped in a warm embrace, and once again a soft smile formed on her drowsy features. She loved how Deidara tucked his arms around her and nuzzled his nose to her hair and skin, the way their bodies seemed to fit together as if they were always made to end up like this. She wouldn’t have guessed him to be a snuggler. But then again, years ago when she first met him, she wouldn’t have guessed him to be a lot of things he turned out to be.

His arm around her ribcage tightened as he began to stir and wake up, and she laughed silently when she glanced down and realized his hand was smooshed between her cleavage. She slowly turned over and he rolled onto his back, arm settling around her waist as she propped herself up on his chest. Her lips brushed over his collarbone, and a soft smile formed on his features as he woke fully.

“You always wake up before me, yeah,” he murmured, his fingers combing into her hair as she continued the feather-light kisses over his chest.

“Maybe it’s because I like seeing how cute you look when you’re sleeping, like such a nice guy, without that cocky smirk you always have,” she teased.

Deidara’s brow creased, not liking to think there was ever a time he looked anything other than intimidating, or at least cool and impressive. “I’m not a nice guy,” he muttered with a mild tone of resentment, or was it sulking? “You don’t like my smirk?”

She smiled at the small pout on his lips and shifted upward so her face hovered just over his. “You’re nice to me, that’s all that matters. And I think your smirk is sexy,” she said playfully, and the exact expression she was referring to appeared on his features. “I love it, actually. You wouldn’t be you without it.”

He just looked at her, and she could see he was thinking something, carefully processing some little piece of information. It dawned on her that what she just said was possibly skirting around a far more profound subject, and she suddenly felt nervous. What if he picked up on it? She should change the subject now, before her stupid mouth blurted anything else it shouldn’t…

But she didn’t get the chance, because the hand in her hair was pulling her head down and his lips were on hers, prohibiting any brush-off or excuse she might have made. He rolled her onto her back and her arms slipped under his shoulders but the kiss didn’t deepen or intensify, there was no intent or urgency, he was kissing her just because.

Maybe he’d picked up on the fact that she was about to start rambling and just wanted to stop her before she got started. She didn’t really care why; she loved kissing for whatever reason. And she particularly loved kissing Deidara because he was so ridiculously good at it. She also loved that he seemed to enjoy it as well; after all it was sort of his thing.

If she thought about it enough, she realized there were quite a lot of things she loved about him. If she added them all up, did it mean she loved him? She knew it didn’t exactly work like that, but it still troubled her. What she said a moment ago had come dangerously close to alluding to the possibility that she might maybe feel that way, and it was obviously something that wasn’t comfortable being out in the open with either of them and that’s probably why he kissed her; to shut her up.

He pulled back and his blue eyes stared into hers for a long, quiet moment. “What are we going to do?”

Sakura blinked, completely at a loss, her heart doing a small thump in her chest. What was he asking her? Had he been thinking the same thing she was, or was he talking about something else entirely? She didn’t want to give a real answer for fear it might not be what he meant, so she eloquently replied, “Wha –?”

The corners of his lips curled slightly. “About the sword. It wasn’t delivered last night like we thought it would be, and the exhibition is tonight, yeah.”

She made a small inaudible sigh, not sure whether to be relieved or disappointed. Of course she wouldn’t have thought of that, it was kind of hard to think business with him lying half on top of her and looking at her that way. She wondered how he could be, and thought maybe he was trying to change the subject as well.

“I don’t know,” she replied quietly. “Is it possible it was, and the sensors you left might have just missed it?”

He frowned. “No. There’s nothing wrong with my jutsu.”

“I wasn’t saying that, I was just thinking of all the possibilities,” she said, running her hands up his arms in a placating gesture.

His disgruntled expression faded but he sat up, pushing his hair away from his face.

Sakura sat up behind him. She didn’t want him to be upset with her, especially over something so inane. She didn’t doubt his abilities and hadn’t meant that in the slightest, but she knew how he was. He was extremely touchy about his art, especially concerning any potential faults in his technique, and he would probably always be a little irrational about it. It was good to learn that lesson this way, without seriously angering him.

She pressed her lips to his shoulder blade, her fingertips tracing the length of his spine. “It will definitely arrive sometime today, so we should pack up and be ready to go at a moments notice,” she said, then rested her cheek against his warm skin and slipped her arm around him.

Deidara nodded absently and after a moment his arm settled over hers, his thumb stroking her wrist. “The event starts at eight. If it’s not in that room by seven it probably won’t be, meaning they will take it straight to the showroom. If they do that, it also probably means they’ll take it straight out again and never use that room at all and our plan is screwed.”

“Well, we can’t take it during the show; the maximum security as well as the civilian factor would just make it too difficult. We’d have to fight for it and innocent people would get hurt. This was supposed to be a stealth heist, not a smash and grab. Yotsuba wanted us to get away clean and leave no trail,” she said, starting to get frustrated with their limitations.

“Well that may not be what he gets, yeah,” Deidara countered darkly.

Sakura nodded, thinking over their very short list of options. She wrapped part of the sheet around her naked form and scooted around to face her lover. They held each other’s gazes for a moment, and then she grinned and leaned in to playfully kiss the tip of his nose. A small smile turned the corners of his lips and his grouchy aura lessened as he pulled her into his lap.

She nestled into him and rested her head on his shoulder, “If we aren’t able to get it beforehand, and we can’t get it during, then we can still get it afterward. If we have to you can scout the roads leaving this place from the air and we can ambush the convoy as it leaves,” she suggested.

He thought about it for a moment. “That could get ugly, yeah.”

“It depends on how many guards there are. It shouldn’t be a problem for us, considering only a handful of them are shinobi, and low level ones at that,” she countered. “But, because they’re just hired thugs and not trained soldiers, I’d like to avoid killing anyone if possible.”

He gave her a skeptical look. “You really think two of us can neutralize an entire armed convoy without killing any of them?” he asked flatly.

She frowned slightly, because he was likely right. “Well, like I said, it really depends on how many of them there are,” she reasoned. She looked up at his face and gently brushed the stray lock of hair from his eye. “And I know you can create charges that only have enough power to knock a person out and not kill them,” she said.

He gave her a long look, obviously aware she was slyly trying to temper his more violent and reckless side, but then he gave a conceding shrug and sighed. She could be a little over-compassionate at times, but he supposed it was to be expected with her being a medic, and he knew her big heart was a major source of her strength. He didn’t enjoy killing, so he was fine doing it her way. But if going easy on their enemies lowered their chances of succeeding and getting away alive and in one piece, the deal was off.

“Besides,” she continued, “it’s all hypothetical, right? Hopefully our original plan will still pan out and we won’t have to worry about it.”

“Yeah,” he nodded. After a moment he tilted her chin up to kiss her briefly, then eased her from his lap as he made to get up. “I’m gonna take a shower,” he said.

“’Kay,” she replied softly, watching him as he stood and walked across the room. When he was gone she untangled herself from the sheets and lay back down. He wasn’t in a very good mood this morning, though she knew it wasn’t due to anything she said. Perhaps he was simply in a professional mindset, knowing they had a job to do tonight that was getting sketchier and more potentially dangerous by the hour. He probably had a lot on his mind right now. She had a lot on her mind too, not the least of which was what was going to happen a day or two from now, when they would have to decide what to do from there out. Honestly Sakura was more worried about that than she was about this mission. She wondered if Deidara was thinking about that too, and she was feeling more than a little anxious about what he would say and do when that moment came.

What would happen when they had to lay all their cards on the table?

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They spent the rest of the morning going over the hotel’s building plans once more, planning their route along the ventilation system that would drop them into the secure room in the sub-basement. They also fleshed out their backup plan in case they did have to ambush the convoy after all.

When they got it all worked out they packed their belongings, feeling slightly wistful that they had to leave this beautiful, relaxing place. They got rid of the items they’d purchased for their cover and erased their presence in the room. When the theft was discovered and an investigation begun, it would look as though the Yamadas had simply checked out on schedule like dozens of other guests.

Sakura decided to keep her new swimsuit and the burgundy lingerie set with robe; she’d taken a liking to them and they suited her personal style more than the other girly garments. Deidara liked them too, and that was another good reason to keep them. And of course she kept the little stuffed monkey he’d unintentionally won for her at the carnival in town. He glared at it again when he saw her with it, but smiled when he noticed she was taking it with her.

When they were finished and ready for action, they left the room and split up. Sakura returned the blueprints to the security office using the same method she got them with, while henge’d as the security manager this time for extra measure, and Deidara went to identify the ventilation shaft that would be their entry point into the complex maze.

Sakura returned to the room first and double checked that everything was ready to go. It felt good to wear her own clothing again. She had yet to don her gloves and medic’s skirt, but the familiar comfort and flexibility of her zip-up shirt and snug shorts made her feel more at ease.

With all the preparations made, there was nothing to do now but wait. She opened the bedroom window and sat in the cushioned sill to watch the rolling waves and diving birds along the beach while waiting for Deidara to return, and after a while the soothing sounds and warm fragrant breeze lulled her into a light snooze.

She woke sometime later to the soft click of the door, indicating Deidara was back. A moment later he entered the bedroom and she admired his own change in appearance, for he too was wearing his shinobi attire again. She much preferred him this way, it was more him and there was a good reason she had never been attracted to civilian men; ninja were just so much hotter. Their gazes met and she smiled at him, which he returned with his usual smirk. He didn’t come over to her, however. Instead he lay down on the bed with his arms behind his head, smirk still in place and she could see he was expectantly waiting for her to join him.

She obliged and crawled onto the bed to curl up beside him, propping her chin on his chest while he lowered one arm to settle around her waist. “Any trouble?” she asked.

He gave a small shake of his head. “Nope. The entry point is in the middle of a low-traffic hallway, so we won’t have to worry about being seen going in, yeah. You?”

“No problems. The security guards in that office are all civilian, so it was nothing to slip in there. Although, this one cleaning lady tried to flirt with me while I was disguised as the security manager,” she said with a smirk.

He made an amused sound. “Did you flirt back?”

She shifted higher so her face was near his. “Jealous?” she asked playfully.

“Totally,” he murmured before pulling her down to capture her lips.

His grumpy mood seemed to have lightened, probably because he didn’t have to pretend to be a boring, regular guy anymore and could be himself again. She smiled down at him and trailed her finger along his jaw, pausing as she brushed over the long thin scar there. “When and how did you get this?” she asked casually.

He thought for a moment before answering. “About…four years ago I think. The mission was booked by two different contractors, and when two nins show up for the same target it’s not pretty. A kunai fight in a narrow hallway is never fun, yeah,” he said quietly.

She could hear in his tone that the memory was clearly unpleasant. She continued to absently trace the thin line with a soft fingertip. It ran from his earlobe to the underside of his chin, and she knew the kunai that put it there had been aimed for his throat, and missed it by an inch. He held an S-ranking for more than just his explosive jutsu, and she knew he was highly skilled in all tactical areas but still - close-quarter, hand-to-hand combat was not his forte.

“I’ve been in one or two like that myself, when I’d get cornered by bounty hunters,” she replied. “I have the same problem you do; of not being able to go all out because we’d get caught in our own destruction. I’m not the best with close-quarter fights either.”

He smiled, thinking how though their methods differed, the results were quite similar. It was exciting to think about the kind of explosive chaos they could create together. “I’m good enough, because I won and he’s dead, yeah,” he replied dryly.

She brushed her lips over the line. “Well, I’m certainly glad he missed what he was aiming for…but the scar itself is kinda sexy.”

He ‘hn’d’ in response and smirked as her lips trailed closer to his mouth. They were met by his, and Sakura parted her lips with a sigh to allow the sensuous glide of his tongue. Soon he was rolling her onto her back, slowly unzipping her shirt and tossing it aside. She moved his shirt up his back and his mouth broke from hers as he helped her take it off, and then bent his head to nuzzle the side of her neck. She removed the tie holding his hair up and gently ran her fingers through the thick strands as it fell over his shoulders.

There was no rush to their actions, and he made no attempt to remove more clothing as they lay there, simply savoring each other’s touch and the wonderful feel of skin against skin.

“You don’t have many scars…is that because you’re a medic?” he quietly murmured against her collarbone, his lips moving idly over her skin.

She smiled softly and played with the ends of his long hair as he made a path down her torso. “Partly. I didn’t do much that would earn major scars as a genin. I learned medical ninjutsu shortly before making chuunin, but even then I didn’t see much action because I was too busy studying with Tsunade-shishou. It wasn’t until Gaara was taken that I was sent into the field again…so I suppose I have you to thank for forcing me back into active duty,” she said sarcastically.

He laughed softly and his breath fanned over her stomach before his lips pressed against the skin above her navel. “You’re welcome, yeah.” He continued his lazy path and paused when he came across a small even scar about two inches wide on her lower abdomen, just above the waistband of her shorts. “What about this one?”

Her expression sobered but he didn’t see it, and she was quiet a long moment before answering. “I wanted to keep that one,” she said quietly.

He softly traced over the smooth line. “Why?”

“Because it was the one that almost killed me.”

Deidara looked up at that and noticed her expression. He examined the scar more closely, drawing on a lifetime of battle experience. “It’s from a sword…a katana,” he analyzed quietly, and saw her small nod from the corner of his eye. “And based on the entry point it pierced vitals…I guess it’s a good thing you’re a medic or you’d probably be dead from this, yeah,” he finished, looking up to meet her jade gaze again.

Sakura shook her head and a small, wistful smile formed on her features. “I’d be dead from it anyway. The blade was poisoned and I was out of commission before I could even try to heal myself or apply an antidote. I’m not the one that healed it,” she said slowly.

He could tell she was implying something, but he couldn’t guess what. “Who did then?”

She held his gaze for a long moment. “…Chiyo-baa-sama,” she answered quietly.

Deidara stilled as he realized what that meant, and his eyes returned to the pale scar. “…Oh,” he murmured softly. He frowned as his thumb stroked back and forth over what he now knew was the handiwork of his former partner. When he asked her the first time about that battle she’d said she only survived because of the old woman, and now he could see it hadn’t been a theoretical statement. Sasori had nearly killed this woman, but instead she had killed him. The fact that she defeated his partner at such a young age and in such an impressive way was the only reason he’d bothered to get to know the petite, pink-haired kunoichi. He’d gotten more than he expected for his curiosity and now, over a decade after she’d fought his partner to the death, this amazing, beautiful girl was his lover. Sakura was lying in his arms this moment because of a series of fateful twists. A thoughtful smirk spread across his features. Life was full of irony.

His lips brushed her soft skin once more, placing a kiss not on the scar but just above it, and his hands stroked over her hips as he picked up where he left off.

He hooked his fingers under the waistband of her shorts and eased them down a few inches, his lips and the occasional tease of his tongue leaving a tingling warm trail across her sensitive skin. Again without any apparent purpose other than to expose more of her skin to his exploration, he slipped her shorts over her hips and down her legs, tossing them carelessly off the bed before kissing a trail up her body once more.

He propped himself up on one elbow as his gaze roamed slowly over her pale, smooth skin. His fingers trailed up her stomach, and her lithe figure stretched and shifted as she sighed softly at his touch. He smiled approvingly at the lovely vision before him. “I love how comfortable you are in your own skin, yeah. You don’t try to hide yourself from me for some ridiculous insecurity,”

She huffed softly in a small laugh. “I wasn’t always. I used to be very insecure about my looks. But in time I realized most of it was only in my head, and the parts that weren’t I couldn’t change anyway so it was a waste of time to worry over it. I don’t concentrate on my flaws anymore, but I still know I’m not perfect, outside or inside.”

The blond man frowned slightly, shifting over her again. “Perfect is boring, yeah. Perfect is dull, unchanging, and very easy to get tired of,” he reproved, his fingers smoothing over the flat area between her breasts. “True perfection lies in the fleeting, true beauty in the unpredictable. The things you would call flaws…are what make you unique.” He touched lightly over the scar on her abdomen. “Every scar…every freckle…” his lips brushed over a tiny spot near her shoulder, “every imperfection you have is beautiful, Sakura,” his voice was almost a whisper as he moved over her.

Sakura was spellbound by his rapt attention. He was almost reverent in the way he touched her, all light caresses and soft kisses as if worshipping her body not in spite of its imperfections, but because of them. She felt incredibly beautiful under his gaze. He was being curiously tender with her, but it had been a long time since she’d felt so desired and adored, and she cherished every second of it.

Long strands of blond hair fell over his shoulders and tickled deliciously against her sides as he grabbed the narrow front of her bra between his teeth and tugged playfully. Her hands smoothed over his shoulders and down his toned arms, and his actions turned purposeful now as their sensual touches became more arousing.

Deidara shifted upward and his mouth hovered just above hers, and her body warmed under the intensity and desire in his azure gaze. She tilted her chin up in a silent plea, and a small smile graced his lips as they brushed over hers, slowly, teasingly, before he tilted his head and fused his mouth to hers in a passionate, searing kiss. Sakura made a soft sound in her throat as she met the smooth glide of his tongue with her own. She gently pulled his lower lip between her teeth and he smirked against her mouth, shifting his weight so he could thread his fingers into her hair. Too soon for her liking he was moving away, trailing hot open-mouthed kisses down the column of her throat as his arm slid under her to unhook the clasp of her bra.

It slipped from her shoulders and disappeared to some unimportant place, and her hands found their way into his hair as his mouth trailed along the top of her breast. Her nipples tightened in anticipation but he was in no hurry, continuing to tease lightly around the sensitive, rosy mound. His hand caressed up her stomach, the teeth nibbling and tongue tasting as it slipped around her ribs just below her other breast. His tongue flicked over the erect bud and Sakura sighed breathily. His palm cupped over pliant flesh and she felt the same erotic tap of tongue on the other side.

He was teasing her, working her up slowly and she mewled in pleasure at the thought of what he had in store for her, of the explosive heights he planned to take her to. There was something different about his attentions this time, and she had a feeling she was in for one hell of a ride.

Her eyes snapped shut and her back arched as both nipples were enclosed by hot mouths. Twin tongues alternated between slow suckling and rapid flicks across the erect tips, his tongue doing one while the one in his hand did the other, only to suddenly synch up and move in tandem, making her gasp and moan. She began to writhe under him as he worked her into a panting frenzy. Could he make her come from this alone? In this moment it felt entirely possible. But all capacity for thought was pushed out of her mind the next moment when his teeth closed around the already over-sensitized peaks and she cried out, her grasp in his hair tightening from the intense pleasure.

Just when she thought she couldn’t take any more of what he was doing to her, he released her as his mouth worked across to her other breast, the hand that had previously been there stroking slowly down her stomach as he shifted his weight to free his other hand. His tongue swirled around the tightened peak and drew it into his mouth, his newly freed hand doing the same. Sakura’s moans increased in pitch when the hand trailing over her abdomen brushed soft pink curls and his fingers began to slowly stroke and tease her hot center. She was practically aching to be touched there after the state he’d worked her into and she moaned raggedly when he eased inside her opening. His fingers curled and stretched within her as dual tongues worked her breasts. She felt like she would explode, and her quivering body silently prayed for that third tongue to make an appearance and give her sweet release.

Deidara had other, more torturous ideas, however. His fingers and tongues withdrew completely, and she mewled in disapproval as he hovered over her. His lips were moist from his expert ministrations and they twisted into a devastatingly sexy smirk as he leaned in.

He kissed the pout from her lips and she arched against him impatiently. “Shh,” he whispered against her mouth. “Be patient hmm, I’ve only just begun to have my way with you,” he breathed over her cheek as he began to move downward again, suckling and nibbling a heated trail along her chest and abdomen, over her hipbone and along her thigh, slipping her panties down and tossing them aside as he went.

He settled on his stomach between her thighs and she began to pant with the anticipation of his mouth on her, but instead his fingers returned and slowly teased and stroked her aching womanhood as he raptly watched the pleasured expressions flicker across her face with every brush of his skilled fingers. Sakura thought she would go mad if he didn’t stop this sweet torment and give her some relief. He hadn’t yet used his own mouth there yet, only his hands, and she was getting hotter and wetter just thinking about the experience she was in for.

Deidara smirked devilishly and made a pleased sound as he watched the flushed, aroused beauty before him and his artistic vision unfolded in his mind. He nipped her upper thigh teasingly, and smirked against her skin as her breaths grew heavier as he moved lower and lower.

She felt his breath against her heated skin and his hand slid up the back of her thigh, teeth nibbling as he lifted it over his shoulder. She waited for an eternal breathless moment, and then her head fell back against the pillow and a heady moan escaped her lips as his tongue slowly circled her slick opening.

He clearly enjoyed what he was doing nearly as much as she did, and his tongue ravished her so perfectly, skillfully pleasuring every heated spot, save one. So far he had ignored that most responsive area of nerve endings, instead working her into a writhing, moaning frenzy. So hypersensitive had he made her to even the smallest touch, that when his tongue finally flicked over that sensitive little button she bucked her hips sharply with a loud cry, her fingers gripping the sheets beside her head.

He held her hips down gently to stop her wild thrashing, his tongue never ceasing the slow, rhythmic circling. He was deliberately tormenting her, altering pressure and rhythm to prevent her from climaxing. She silently vowed to make him pay for torturing her like this later, but right now she was helpless beneath him, desperately needing his touch.

He’d brought her so high that she was going to topple over the edge whether he wanted her to or not, and he decided to reveal one last trick that would spiral her into explosive rapture.

The pliant movements of his tongue became more direct and she felt his fingers again, stroking gently before widening and stretching the thin membrane under his tongue. The pleasure burned white hot and her moans went up an octave as she felt the beginning waves of release, but she wasn’t prepared for what he did next. The tongue of his hand circled her opening and slipped inside, swirling within her core as his own tongue lapped and sucked until she was completely lost. She wailed incoherent words of ecstasy as she came, wave after wave flooding every corner of her being, her release being drawn out and intensified by his continuing actions.

Her cries receded to pants as she came down from the mind-shattering climax, her overloaded senses making her feel weightless and slightly disoriented. But the sensations didn’t lessen because Deidara wasn’t stopping nor was he easing up. It was too much, she was too sensitive, the feeling so intense it was almost painful. “Deidara…s-stop…it’s too…aaaaahh,” she whispered brokenly, her fingers clawing the sheets, her hips bucking urgently but she didn’t know if it was toward or away from those two incredible tongues.

Deidara ignored her pleas, the tongues moving faster and deeper within her. She was sobbing with the intensity of pleasure, tears leaking unnoticed from the corners of her eyes as the heat rapidly coiled white-hot within her and exploded outward. Her body arched and spasmed under the onslaught, and her vision spiked a myriad of colors before fading black and all she could do was feel.

Her climax seemed to stretch to eternity yet was over all too soon, and when she came back to herself again, she saw Deidara had moved up her body and was watching her with a look of captivated awe as he stroked her hair from her damp brow. “You ok?” he murmured with a soft smirk, and his fingers tracing over her cheek as he wiped the moisture from her skin.

Sakura managed a faint smile and met his intent gaze. “I don’t know…that was so…I don’t even know how to describe it. I thought I was going to pass out,” she whispered with a hint of amusement.

He smirked again and slipped his arms around her still-trembling body, settling once more between her thighs. She felt his erection press against her thigh and realized he’d removed the rest of his clothing somehow. How long had she been out of it?

Even after what she’d just experienced she felt the desire for him building within her once more, her body reacting with anticipation for the feel of him inside her. His lips trailed over the expanse of her chest again and she sighed anxiously, her fingers threading into his hair, pulling him upward to look at her. “I can’t take any more of that,” she whispered breathlessly. “Please make love to me.”

His gaze softened and he smiled before pressing his lips to her cheek. “I have been the whole time, Sakura,” he whispered. His lips trailed along her jaw and down her throat, and she lifted her thighs around his hips as he slowly sank within her. His eyes closed tightly, his breathing slow and heavy against her neck as he fought to keep from driving into her like a madman.

She moaned breathily as he filled her completely, perfectly. Her arms wrapped around his back and her mouth pressed hotly against his collarbone, her thighs parting and lifting to take him even deeper.

A soft groan escaped his lips as she enveloped him fully, silky thighs and soft hands moving over his skin, her body tightening and welcoming as he began to move. Never had a woman aroused him so. Sakura was radiant, shimmering and gorgeous as she succumbed to him. It was all he could do to control himself with her.

Sakura sighed blissfully, relishing the smooth slide of his abdomen over hers as he thrust slow and deep within her. Her nails grazed lightly against his shoulders and he lowered himself, bracing on his elbows, bringing their torsos into full contact as he buried his face in the hollow of her neck. He hit a spot within her that made her moan and roll her hips upward, her hands flying to grip the pillow on either side of her head.

He breathed the scent of her hair and tasted the softness of her dampened skin. This was different than the times before. He felt dizzy, overwhelmed by her presence and the feel of her around him, like satin and liquid fire. He raised his head to watch her, the expressions she made in her passion doing things to him he couldn’t give name to. Long lashes fluttered open to reveal fathomless pools of brilliant green.

His hand wove tenderly into her soft hair, and the fingers of his other hand slid up her forearm and laced with hers as their rhythm increased. She clasped his fingers tightly and her heart welled as she gazed up at him. The look on his face and in his eyes she couldn’t identify but was so profound it nearly brought tears to her eyes.

It seemed as though time had slowed, only the two of them existing in this moment. Soft light filtered through the window, the afternoon sun catching his hair in golden highlights as it fell over his shoulders, creating a curtain around them, their own private world. The sheets rustled softly beneath them, the stillness punctuated by soft moans and sighs.

He hovered just above her lips, their breath intermingling and increasing in pace as passion began to overtake them. His fingers squeezed hers with every thrust, their joined bodies rocking together in perfect union. “So beautiful…” he whispered reverently, gazing into her luminous, lust-clouded eyes.

She smiled softly, her eyes closing as she was hit by another erotic wave of sensation. She was so close; she could feel the heat spread from her core to the tips of her fingers and toes, encompassing all of her senses.

His thrusts became harder, more urgent, and Deidara felt his control slipping. He lost himself within her and didn’t care, abandoning himself to this incredible feeling. He lowered his head that last inch to kiss her and knew this was the only place he wanted to be, that he belonged here, in her velvet heaven. In this moment he belonged to her.

Her head fell back with a low keening moan as her climax flooded through her, not as intense as before but just as beautiful, and he let himself fall over the edge with her. She tightened and arched beneath him and he shuddered against her, the broken sounds of their pleasure mingling together as they shared their release, finding completion in each other.

Deidara’s fingers unlocked from hers, joints stiff from grasping so tightly, his arms slipping around her frame as he rolled to the side a little, removing the majority of his weight from her. He pressed his face into her neck and closed his eyes tightly as he waited for his pounding heart to slow.

He was at a loss, unable to think properly and not knowing how to describe what he was feeling if he could. He had never in his life experienced anything like that before. It was transcendent, a magnificent revelation. Sakura had completely captivated him and at the height of pleasure she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. He had lost control of his artistic vision and instead become a part of it. It was not about her but about them, together, producing a moment of art more breathtaking than any he had created before.

Sakura sighed breathlessly, her own heart racing. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, cradling his head, her fingers gently running through his hair. A soft smile graced her lips as he tightened his arms around her. She noticed he still wasn’t moving and she glanced down at him curiously. “Deidara?” she questioned softly. He raised his head slowly and met her gaze. He looked a little dazed, not unlike she imagined herself looking a while ago. “Are you alright?”

A silly, boyish grin spread across his features. “I’ve never been better, and I mean that, yeah,” he replied, his tone slightly awed.

“That was incredible,” she said warmly, brushing his hair from his face.

He leaned closer until his lips were just above her mouth, but his eyes remained locked with hers. “That was a masterpiece,” he stated with quiet excitement. “No work of art I’ve created, even with my jutsu, has ever come close to that.” His hand came up to cup her cheek as he pressed his forehead against hers. “Sakura…thank you,” he whispered.

She laughed, amused by his abstract thinking but understanding the deeper meaning to his words all the same. “Anytime,” she said playfully.

Her fingertips brushed the sides of his neck and over his jaw as she tilted her face up, lips brushing softly against his. He reached down and pulled the sheet over them, sighing as he nuzzled against her, and her arms wrapped around him as they drifted into a peaceful sleep.

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Sakura was stirred from slumber by pressure on her shoulder and the feel of fingers grasping her chin gently.

“Sakura…”

Deidara’s familiar tenor murmured close to her ear, and her eyes slipped open as he turned her face toward his. Her eyes opened fully and adjusted to the darkened room, then locked onto his questioningly.

“It’s here,” he said in a quiet voice.

Her drowsiness vanished as her mind registered what he was talking about, and she rose on her elbows as he released her and stood up. She looked at him more fully and saw he was already half dressed. “How long ago?” she murmured, her voice a bit scratchy from sleep.

“About ten minutes,” he answered before pulling his snug mesh tank over his head, and then reached for the dark over-shirt.

She sat up and swung her legs off the bed while looking for her clothes, namely her underwear. She located them and the rest of the articles Deidara had carelessly thrown around the room and dressed quickly. He tossed her shirt to her as he tied his hair up, and she zipped it and moved to the windowsill to grab her gloves and medic skirt.

They were ready quickly, and with a last check to make sure everything was set, they grabbed their packs and made to leave. Sakura took a final look at the bed they had shared and the rooms that now held so many memories for them, some of them life-changing, and with a nostalgic smile followed Deidara out the door.

The two nins moved through the shadows, not using the pathways because they no longer looked inconspicuous and technically they should be on their way to the gala right now. Sakura followed Deidara as he led the way to the main hotel building and they slipped inside a back door into the staff break area. It was empty as expected; the regular employees gone home at this hour and almost all security was at the exhibition.

They passed quickly through the empty corridors, past the laundry facilities and janitorial supply, until eventually Deidara stopped in the middle of a hallway. Sakura stopped next to him and glanced up toward the ceiling, eyes focusing on the large vent above their heads. It was about two and a half feet in diameter, a close fit but thankfully neither of them were of large build.

Both shinobi knew what they were doing, so talking wasn’t really necessary for this part of their task. Sakura walked forward and placed the tips of her fingers on the wall below the vent, and after a brief pause to draw chakra to her hands and feet, began to crawl up the wall with ease. She stopped below the vent and removed a kunai from her holster and used it to unscrew the bolts holding the metal cover in place. It came away with a soft clank, and she anchored herself at the knees, looking as though she was simply kneeling over a hole in the floor rather than one in the wall as she held the cover to one side and pulled a few senbon out with her free hand. Everything was so much easier with chakra. She placed two senbon between her teeth and shoved the third through the metal slats of the vent cover, pinning it firmly to the wall.

Next she removed her pack and pushed it into the vent opening, then turned to Deidara as he too slipped his pack from his shoulders. He handed it to her and she shoved it through with her own, and then climbed through the metal opening. Deidara quickly followed her up and into the passage releasing the vent cover as he went, she handed him her remaining senbon, and he used them to superficially anchor the covering from the inside.

Sakura shoved their packs in front of her until they reached the first branch-off and moved them out of the way. She was going first because she was smaller, but she was following Deidara’s directions on when and where to turn as he’d placed spiders all through the network of shafts earlier and could hone in on them with his chakra. The going was slow because it was quite dark and they had to low-crawl and remain as silent as possible. The passageways also smelled strongly of dust and metal and it was far from comfortable.

They paused briefly as he concentrated. “Sakura,” he said after a moment.

“What?” she asked, turning her head to glance over her shoulder at him.

“Did I ever tell you you have a really great ass?” he drawled playfully, his eyes enjoying the perfect view he had of her toned legs and rear.

Sakura laughed and shook her head. “Shut up,” she said mirthfully, and began to crawl forward again.

Eventually they reached a vertical shaft and slipped down it until they reached the sector of narrow metal corridors running through the sub-basement. It was cold down here, a fact made worse by having to slide on their stomachs along the metal airshaft. They crawled for several more minutes until they came upon a wide crossroads where several shafts intersected.

They were close now, and Sakura used the wide space to let Deidara move in front of her. Now it was her turn to stare appreciatively at his backside as he crawled ahead of her. They turned a corner to a dead end with a single grate and he indicated with a tilt of his head that they had reached their destination.

He pulled out a kunai and pried the metal covering open, making sure to secure it so it didn’t crash to the floor, then silently slipped out of the vent and dropped into the sealed room full of priceless antiques. Just as they’d worked out earlier, Sakura made several seals and cast a high level genjutsu around the immediate area. If anyone came near this room while they were in it they would be caught in her illusion trap and not be released until they were long gone.

She watched her partner move across the room to where his three clay spiders were jumping up and down madly. She smirked at the amusing sight and her pulse quickened with anticipation as she saw what they were jumping on just as Deidara picked it up.

It was their sword. A katana, wrapped in a traditional silk covering of black and set on a gilded stand. Deidara uncovered it to make sure it was indeed the same sword described in their mission directive. The scabbard was a dark, rich russet color, the hilt was ivory gilded with gold, and the wrappings on the guard were also threaded with gold silk. And there, just below the hanging cord was the identifying mark: a golden dragon with rubies for eyes, clutching a large diamond between its claws. It was gorgeous, and it was obviously worth a fortune.

And they were now going to steal it.

Deidara grinned up at her with a glint in his eyes. She smiled back excitedly and he quickly re-wrapped the sword, moved across the room and handed it up to her. She took it carefully and scooted back to allow him room as he climbed up the wall and back into the shaft, securing the vent cover once more. Their target was acquired, now all that was left to do was get out.

They quickly made their way back through the maze of metal passageways. They retrieved their packs from the side corridor where they’d left them and made sure the hallway was clear before exiting the vent with their prize. Sakura quickly screwed the covering back on, they secured their packs and then they were running silently back through the service areas they’d passed before and out the same back door. They slipped through she shadows of the darkening night once more, swiftly and in total silence as only two elite ninja could, only pausing a few times to avoid the occasional employee or guest.

They leapt onto the roof of an outlying maintenance building and vaulted over a concrete wall at the back of resort property. They ran without stopping until they reached a small hill near the service road and in a matter of moments one of Deidara’s clay birds towered before them. They mounted quickly and Deidara donned his scope. After making sure they weren’t being followed and wouldn’t be seen taking off, the bird lurched upward and they were flying away into the night, their mission all but complete.

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The flight away from the island was relaxed and easy. The advantage of having a clay bird to transport them by air meant they couldn’t be followed even if the theft had been discovered and tracked to them this quickly, which wasn’t likely.

Sakura enjoyed the amazing view of the nocturnal landscape; the moonlight turning the rivers into brilliant threads of silver, the occasional lights of passing towns dotting the ground below. She felt the same sense of tranquil freedom she’d experienced the first time she’d flown; only now it was even better with Deidara’s warm chest pressing against her back, his arms wrapped securely around her waist as the sword lay across her knees. She relaxed against him and leaned her head back onto his shoulder, and his lips brushed the side of her neck as he smiled against her skin.

They weren’t scheduled to meet with Yotsuba and deliver the sword until tomorrow afternoon, and since he practically owned the large factory town where his office was located they didn’t want to make an appearance there until necessary. So when they reached the mainland they landed just outside the nearest village and walked the rest of the way to a small secluded inn.

They entered their modest but clean room and dropped their bags in the corner. It was downright shabby compared to the luxurious suite they’d just spent the last week in, but to them it was nice and cozy, more suited to their tastes and lifestyle. It felt like a return to the norm, and Deidara immediately flopped onto the bed and stretched out with a sigh.

“I can’t believe it was really that easy, yeah,” he stated incredulously, watching his pink-haired friend and lover as she moved across the room.

Sakura crawled across the mattress to sit close to him, stolen artifact of immeasurable value in hand. “Well, almost all the opposition was civilian, and that makes it much easier. Not to mention the level of technical security was obviously not meant to keep out shinobi,” she replied evenly. She gave him a soft smirk and trailed her fingers up his thigh. “Besides, not every mission is life or death, ending in a huge battle,” she finished lightly.

He gave a short laugh. “It usually was for me, yeah. Kinda came with the job, you know?”

She gave him a conceding shrug, not really wanting to think about all the ultra-violent things he may have done in Akatsuki. “Well, you won’t hear me complaining that everything actually went according to plan,” she said dryly.

She removed the silk covering and examined their stolen prize. Her hands smoothed along the scabbard, admiring the craftsmanship. She slipped the blade free of its sheath with a soft click and the appealing hum of sliding steel, pulling it out halfway and eying the quality of the blade with a pleasant expression. “This really is beautiful…I can see why someone would go to so much trouble to steal it,” she remarked quietly.

“Hn,” was his only reply. He smirked as he watched her, far more interested in her apparent fascination with blades than he was in the actual sword. He could see and appreciate the quality of the craftsmanship, but the majority of the aesthetic appeal was lost on him because he didn’t find any real beauty in this kind of artwork. Now Sakura, on the other hand, was a different matter. The muted excitement in her expression as she handled the deadly blade, the way her eyes glittered as she imagined what it would be like to wield it, now that was appealing. To actually see her doing so would also be enticing, because nothing was sexier than a beautiful woman who knew her way around a deadly weapon. Especially one that looked like her. The pink-haired woman was deceptively fragile-seeming. The massive destruction she was capable of, her fiery unpredictable temper, and her interest in unusual things were all in paradox to her delicate pretty appearance and that was what made her so irresistible and exciting to him.

Deidara’s hand reached out and smoothed over the skin of her thigh, slipping below the edge of her apron, and she smiled at his touch as she continued her examination. Her fingers traced down the length of the polished scabbard and she felt something strange, a tiny vibration in a certain area near the bottom. Her brow creased as she felt for it again, this time bringing chakra to the tips of her fingers to assist in the search for the anomaly.

Deidara noticed her changed demeanor and his attention refocused. “What?” he asked cautiously.

She frowned as her fingers traced around the base of the sheath. “Something’s strange about this area…feels like its pulsing almost…” she murmured vaguely.

“I didn’t notice anything earlier, yeah,” he said, sitting up fully and frowning now as well.

“You’re not a medic, you aren’t as sensitive to chakra,” she explained simply.

His eyes narrowed curiously, and then widened as there was a tiny click and Sakura removed a small piece of wood to reveal a hidden compartment in the bottom of the scabbard. She reached inside the opening and moment later a rolled piece of paper was between her fingers. Her gaze flicked up and met his in a shared moment of surprise, and then she carefully unrolled the small scrap.

Her eyes widened as she recognized what she held as a transformation seal, used to conceal important items and hide them in unlikely places. She looked up at Deidara again and they stared at each other for a long moment.

“Do it, yeah,” he nodded at the seal.

Sakura looked over the seal and memorized the procedure, then made the corresponding hand seals. A moment later there was a soft pop and they were staring at a scroll where the paper had been. Her features set in anxious determination to get to the bottom of the mystery, she slowly opened the scroll. It was marked as belonging to Hidden Mist, and as she looked it over she realized it was a forbidden jutsu.

Her gaze traveled upward and met her partner’s, and his expression was just as dark as her own. “That deceiving bastard…” she said in a low tone, her eyes narrowing angrily.

“You better break more than his nose when we show up tomorrow, yeah,” Deidara said malevolently. “Otherwise I may just kill the son of a bitch.”

She shook her head in angry incredulity. “I can’t fucking believe he didn’t tell us about something like this, as if it wasn’t an important factor! Withholding this kind of information to save a little cash can easily get a shinobi killed. I can’t believe it was actually so easy to take, considering what’s concealed in it.”

“Shingo probably thinks no one knows about it, and wouldn’t feel the need to guard it as anything but a regular antique. He may not even know about it himself, yeah, though that’s probably not likely.”

“Well our employer certainly knows. He lied about so many other things, we don’t even know for sure if he’s really an antiques collector. He is a former shinobi; he may just be after this scroll and not want the sword at all. I knew there was something suspicious about all this from the start,” Sakura said darkly.

“Mmhm,” Deidara agreed, reaching to take the scroll and look over it himself.

“I wonder what he plans to do with this,” she said anxiously.

He finished his perusal and rolled it back up before handing it to her again. “It doesn’t matter, Sakura…our job was to steal and deliver the sword. That’s it. Whatever else is going on, it’s not gonna be the end of the world, and there’s no reason to get involved in it further, yeah,” he said, mildly exasperated at her old habit of being an overcurious do-gooder.

She sighed and nodded her assent. She had an inquisitive nature and liked to solve mysteries, but he was right, and truthfully she really didn’t want to be involved with these people or their dealings any longer. She made the proper hand seals and the scroll transformed into a scrap of paper once more. She rolled it up and sealed it inside the compartment, then wrapped the silk covering over the sword and set it aside.

She removed her gloves, apron and boots, and yawned as she unzipped her shirt. She crawled across the mattress and pulled the covers back, and looked up to see Deidara watching her, his attention drawn no doubt by the sound of her zipper. He’d kicked his boots off and was now pulling his shirts over his head as he fixed her with a sinful smirk. She knew what he was thinking and she smiled seductively at him as he turned out the bedside light.

He moved across the bed toward her, a dark silhouette in the moonlit room. His mouth descended on hers and he slipped her opened shirt from her shoulders before gathering her into his arms and sinking into the cool sheets with her. Sakura sighed and responded eagerly, and soon all thoughts of stolen swords and forbidden scrolls and what would happen tomorrow drifted from her mind as he took her away to a place where only the two of them existed.

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A/N: The mission was a peice of cake, but Sakura is feeling more unsure of their relationship and whether they will have a future together now that it's over. Does she have a good reason to be concerned, or is she simply missing the forest for the trees? You'll find out very soon, and so will she. ; )

Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed so far, especially those who have faithfully reviewed every chapter since the beginning, even as far back as Perception. I love you guys!