Chapter Text
A Drink From the Devil
“Sakura, you should rest now,” Ino muttered as she dropped her own file onto her desk with a sigh. She glanced toward the cluttered workspace in front of her, where Sakura sat buried in a sea of papers—maps, mugshots, names, strings that never tied together.
“I can’t,” Sakura answered calmly, eyes never lifting.
Ino rolled her eyes as she tugged on her coat. “Ah, piggy. Get up and go home. Go outside, maybe you’ll finally find a man who’s blind enough to like you—before you have to wear glasses from all this reading.” She giggled, tossing her long blonde hair behind her as she walked off.
Sakura gave her a sharp glare, lips curling just slightly in a familiar annoyance. It was almost a smile.
But the papers never ended.
She exhaled, slapping shut the file she’d been pouring over for months now. Naruto—now the station chief—had dumped this mess on her desk just before jetting off on his honeymoon. Of course, he’d said she was “the only one who could handle it.” Translation? Do all the work while he enjoyed tropical cocktails with Hinata.
“Damn it. Naruto married before me,” she muttered bitterly, dragging herself up from her chair.
Maybe Ino had a point.
⸻
She undressed from her uniform the second she got home, tossing it onto her bed like it personally offended her. When she opened her closet, it felt like staring into a time capsule. Skirts from college, dresses from nights she barely remembered—tight, short, wild.
God, they were slutty.
She wrinkled her nose. “Whatever,” she said aloud, grabbing a red dress that looked like it could get her arrested in some towns. It barely covered her thighs, and squeezed her modest chest into something resembling cleavage.
Her long pink hair curled neatly, soft around her face. Make-up covered the bags beneath her eyes, and her red lipstick made her lips look full—kissable. A little smoky shadow made her green eyes gleam.
She looked at herself in the mirror and blinked.
“…Shit.”
She actually looked good.
⸻
But the bar was a disaster.
Not the setting—no, the lighting was dim and sultry, the music low enough for conversation. The men, though? Useless. Every one of them had the personality of a wet rag. They looked at her like she was meat—like they wanted to hit and run.
She wasn’t here for love, but damn, have some game at least.
“Your cocktail,” the bartender said, sliding a glass toward her.
“I didn’t order this?”
“It’s from the sir over there.”
Her eyes followed the direction of his nod—and then her heart stopped.
Where was he from? What was he? Did the moon and the sun kiss and birth him into existence?
He sat at the far end of the bar like he owned it. Shoulder-length black hair framed a pale, sculpted face. His dark eyes locked with hers and didn’t waver. There was a drink in his hand, a smirk hidden behind it.
Her breath caught.
At her age, flustered like this? Embarrassing.
But then he stood up, and every step toward her made her stomach twist tighter.
“I hope it’s to your liking,” he said as he sat beside her.
“It’s not my cup of choice,” she replied, feigning indifference as she took a slow sip. She felt his eyes follow the movement of her lips, linger there. Something mischievous sparked inside her, and a bit of the drink dribbled down her chin, completely on purpose.
Her cheeks flushed as he leaned in, closer now, chair scraping the floor.
“Your name?” he whispered.
“Sakura.”
“Sasuke,” he said, low and deliberate. The name rang a distant bell in her head, but her attention was too fixed on his hand—already on her thigh, already moving. Upward.
“You’re dangerously close,” she murmured, resting her head on her hand. She crossed one leg over the other, letting the dress hike up a little higher.
His eyes burned through the fabric.
“You’re dangerous,” he replied, voice deep and soft.
His lips brushed her ear.
She should say no. She should stop him. She was a known cop in this town, for God’s sake. But she tilted her head instead, baring her neck. He kissed her skin, slow and hungry.
“Cherry blossom,” he whispered against her.
⸻
Before she could process it, she was pressed against a wall—some random hotel hallway, cold against her back. His thigh slid between hers, mouth devouring hers until she was breathless. His hands gripped her thighs, lifting her as she wrapped her legs around his waist.
The door slammed open behind him. Or maybe it was already open.
Who the hell cared?
The coat she’d brought with her fell to the floor. Her dress was tugged up, hands rough and desperate. His lips stole her breath, and in a few clumsy, breathless moves, they made it to the bed.
She landed with a gasp.
He paused, just for a second, when he saw what she wore underneath—lacey, black, thin enough to leave nothing to the imagination.
he breathed.
She pulled him closer.
Their clothes scattered across the floor, their bodies tangled in heat and sweat and need. Her soft moans echoed off the walls. He kissed the tears from her cheeks. She clawed at his back like she needed to hold onto something real. The bed creaked beneath them.
There were no words. Just skin. Just gasps.
And touches that said everything they couldn’t.
⸻
Morning came cruel and bright.
The sun warmed her cheeks as she opened her eyes, groaning at the headache pounding behind them. Her body ached in unfamiliar ways. She blinked at the room.
Right.
That happened.
She sat up, rubbing her temples. Her gaze shifted to the man still asleep beside her. Sasuke. His face looked softer now, strands of black hair falling across his cheek. He looked peaceful.
Too peaceful.
She hesitated—just for a moment—before brushing his hair from his face.
Then she got up.
“Ew,” she muttered as she spotted her damp underwear and discarded it without a second thought. The red dress went back on. Her coat—still untouched from last night—was finally used to cover her up.
Her phone vibrated violently. Multiple missed calls.
Her team was going to kill her.
She pulled a few stray yens from her coat and dropped them on the nightstand.
Would it cover the hotel? No idea.
She just needed to leave before he woke up.
The door closed behind her with a soft click.
. . .
Inside, Sasuke opened his eyes.
He’d been awake.
He turned his head, spotted the coins.
A grin touched his lips.
“Cute.”