Unexpected Hearts / SasuSaku

Unconditional Love *lemon*

The days leading up to graduation seemed to pass. Sakura usually found solace in painting during her free time, but she hadn't picked up a paintbrush since her birthday. Now, with some free time in the living room, she sat, contemplating what she should paint next.

"Do you have any idea what you're going to paint?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura hesitated, unsure of her answer. "Maybe something about love?"

"A painting about love? Like what?" Sasuke probed further.

Sakura wondered if it was a good idea at all. She thought it might be too cliche or uninteresting, as she struggled to come up with any concrete ideas.

"Perhaps our love," Sakura finally responded.

"Our love?" Sasuke repeated. "Hmm."

"I seem to have lost any concrete ideas," Sakura sighed, feeling a bit frustrated.

"What exactly are you trying to capture in your painting?" Sasuke asked curiously.

Rolling her eyes, Sakura reached for a paintbrush and a tube of paint. She squeezed some onto the canvas and handed it over to Sasuke, saying, "Why don't you help me then?"

"You want me to paint?" Sasuke clarified, a hint of surprise in his voice. "Without a specific topic or theme?"

Sakura nodded. "Just paint however you want. Experiment. Help me figure it out."

Sasuke hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to proceed. Eventually, he took the paintbrush and made a long, diagonal stroke on the canvas before looking up at Sakura with a questioning gaze. "Now what?"

Unsure herself, Sakura shrugged. "Let me do it," He nodded in response, and she uncapped tubes bright color paint, pouring a bit of each onto a newspaper to make them accessible. Then, she picked up another brush and said, "Just paint, Sasuke."

As they began painting, Sakura leaned towards lighter shades like whereas Sasuke gravitated towards darker shades. Sakura let her brush move freely, allowing the colors to swirl and blend with Sasuke's strokes. In contrast, Sasuke proceeded cautiously, taking his time. Until Sakura grabbed his paintbrush by the bristles and playfully splattered bright red across the canvas.

"Why did you...the painting?" Sasuke started to ask in surprise.

"That's it," Sakura interrupted, her face lighting up. "Let's just paint freely, without any restrictions. Who cares, right?"

Sasuke's expression shifted, reflecting a hint of happiness. He dipped his brush into the paint and sprayed it across the canvas, using a clean brush to blend different areas together until the colors blended. As they worked, covering every inch of the canvas, Sakura couldn't help but feel content with the final outcome.

"That's something," Sasuke remarked.

"Yeah," Sakura agreed with a sigh.

Though she didn't initially know what the painting was meant to represent, it held a certain appeal. Sakura never followed strict rules while painting. The mix of changing colors worked somehow.

"I actually like it," Sakura stated.

"I do too," Sasuke replied warmly. He carefully lifted the painting and leaned it against the floor to dry. Sasuke chuckled, scooping up paint and smearing it on Sakura's face.

Surprised by his playful action, Sakura gasped, "Sasuke, what did you...-"

Sasuke laughed, leaning back on his hands. "You should see yourself. It's hilarious."