Happy Accidents

Chapter 29: Amor Caecus Est

Sasuke going downstairs to take care of a few things gave Sakura enough time to duck into the bathroom again, closing the door and taking a second to catch her breath. Her cheeks were bright red, her heart was pounding, and she couldn't forget that feeling. She felt light-headed and a little dizzy, but not in a bad way; it was in an overwhelmed, confused way.

He'd kissed her. Kissed her. Her fingers reached up to gently touch her own lips, remembering the sensation when they'd kissed. She almost wondered if she'd passed out and was dreaming. Him apologizing wasn't out of the ordinary, but kissing her? Not what she expected. Not in the slightest.

Drawing in a deep breath, she ran the water and splashed her face with cold water a few times, then went about taking off her makeup. She then carefully pulled the pins out of her hair and unravelled the braided crown Ino had made, running a brush through her hair. She was thoughtful for a moment, realizing a shower would also be a good idea. She quickly stripped down and got in, relishing the relaxing feeling of the hot water. It was enough to calm her down and let her gather her thoughts, processing everything that had happened.

The more she thought about it, the more she realized she hadn't even asked him why he'd knocked her drink out of her hand. A frown came over her features. She figured she'd best ask about that; it was odd behaviour, though it was something she was sure she ought to know the answer to. There wouldn't be any harm in asking, now would there?

Stepping out, she realized in her overwhelmed stupor, she'd forgotten to grab herself a change of clothes for bed. Oh, great. Well, not much she could do about that, now could she? Listening carefully, she couldn't hear him out there, so she figured it was safe. He was probably downstairs finishing up. Now was the time. She'd just quickly cross to the bedroom, dress with uncanny speed, and he'd be none the wiser.

Opening the door quickly with her dirty clothes in hand, she rushed across the hall, making a beeline for the bedroom door. She was almost through the door and ready to close it when the light flicked on, and she ran smack-dab into something, staggering back and fumbling as her towel slipped.

Wait... no. Not something. She ran into someone who'd turned the light on and was staring as her slipping towel exposed a little too much skin. He stared for way too long, realized he was staring, and quickly raised a hand to cover his eyes politely, turning away. At least his hand obscured the blush on his features. He'd seen... more than he bargained for, that was for sure. That seemed to be a trend of theirs, based on that one photo she'd sent him a while back...

"I-I'm sorry--!" She stammered, scrambling up and trying to cover herself to preserve her dignity. "I-I just--I wanted to shower, and I-- I forgot my--"

"It's okay, just... go ahead and get dressed," he said calmly, though there was a strain to his voice. He slowly moved out of the doorway, covering his face enough to obscure most of her body but uncovering his vision enough that he could see her feet, so he knew where she was standing. The moment he was out of the way, she darted into the bedroom, shutting the door very quickly behind her and pressing her back against it. Way to make a fool of herself!

On the other hand, Sasuke was backing into the bathroom himself, doing his best not to chuckle awkwardly at the situation. At least the sight he'd seen confirmed the photo he'd received ages ago: Sakura was a lot more attractive than anyone might initially think, even him. He chuckled softly, remembering the message he'd initially sent to her: that he'd enjoyed seeing the outfit and that it looked good on her. He hadn't been lying when he'd said that... but he also hadn't intended ever to meet the person who accidentally sent it to her--let alone work with her or grow fond of her the way he had.

Sakura buried her hands in her face in embarrassment, making her way to her bag and pulling out some pyjamas. Today was definitely going to be an 'as modest as possible' night: loose drawstring pants, in a dark navy blue colour with a cherry blossom pattern matched with a loose long-sleeved pink shirt. It hid every single one of her curves perfectly, like most of her casual clothing. Once she'd gathered her bearings, she opened the door, catching him coming out of the bathroom.