Chapter 6 - Love Served Cold

Two ANBU agents rushed Yuji, who wasn’t quite ready to attack them. Why should he? They were on the same side as he was- weren’t they?

When he was knocked unconscious, he realized it had been a mistake. Now, it was too late to fight back.

“One down. Proceeding to next target,” said one faceless agent.

“Acknowledged,” came the voice on the other side of the earpiece and microphone. “Well done.”
--

Sakura was in the same situation. The two agents rushed her just outside of work, grabbing her from behind and pressing something over her mouth and nose. She registered that it was a knock-out drug of some kind and began to regulate her breathing while fighting back however she could. She soon succumbed to whatever it was on the cloth, and passed out.
--

Yuji and Sakura woke up, finding themselves tied back-to-back, wrists above their heads, with chakra wards all around them.

“What the hell happened?” Sakura asked, trying to shake the cobwebs free.

“Dunno,” Yuji grunted, still goofy from being knocked out. “ANBU got me.”

“Me, too.”

“That makes no sense. Why would ANBU attack us?”

The two agents came in.
“Do you know why you’re here?” one asked. The other was brandishing some kind of weapon. Yuji’s hazy eyes couldn’t make it out.

“No. Enlighten us, please,” he managed to say.

“Torture and interrogation. You already know what our questions are. Answer them!”

The weapon swung toward Sakura. Yuji swung around so he was hit instead. This happened several times. The agent, apparently giving up, ordered the two to be cut down. The room was laced with chakra seals, so there was no threat.

“It gets cold at night. Better cuddle up, kiddies.”
--

It did indeed. The room was freezing, or there was only one futon and a threadbare blanket. Once the temperature got to within barely tolerable limits, Yuji finally huffed to himself.

“They’re going to force this. Well, no time for modesty…”

He began to strip, until only his boots and black trunk underwear remained. He handed the long pants and t-shirt to Sakura, along with his socks. He only kept his boots because he didn’t want to lose his toes to frostbite, and Sakura already had some of her own.

“Here. Take them. They’ll help,” he insisted, holding out the bundle of clothing, his red face turning away from her.

Sakura shook her head, despite her chattering teeth. Now a sleeveless vest, short skirt, and short black pants didn’t seem like such a good idea.
“No way, Yuji. We both need to survive.”

Yuji waved a dismissive hand. “I grew up in a cold place. I’ll be fine. Besides, I’m not putting those back on now, so if you don’t wear them, they’ll just go to waste.”

Sakura looked at Yuji, who was pretending to not be phased by the cold, situation, or his lack of clothing. She felt her heart warm. This boy would give everything- even his dignity- for her. Without really thinking about it, she pulled his head to her breasts and held him lovingly. The sensation was not dulled by the dual fabric of her vest and his shirt. He felt her warmth and love; she felt happy and secure. How long she held his head in her chest she did not know nor care. He simply lay there, apparently not feeling the need to object. For once, Sakura did not lament her lack of bust size. Clearly Yuji didn’t mind, either.

“If we have to be trapped like this, I’m glad it’s with you.”

Yuji’s simple admission made Sakura’s heart leap, which Yuji could feel through the thin cotton keeping their skin apart. He felt a slight additional pressure on the back of his head, pushing him deeper into the warmth. His instincts activated here, and he wrapped his arms around her thin torso, physically telling her that he was comfortable. His hand snaked around her waist and upper back. Sakura laid down, pulling Yuji’s weight on top of her. It was the ideal thing to do when trapped in a cold dungeon like this, but neither one was thinking about that. Yuji tried to slide to the side, moving the bulk of his weight off her, but Sakura raised her objection by coiling her legs around one of his, silently asking him to not move. He obliged her, hooking his leg around one of hers.

“I won’t let them touch you,” Yuji whispered into her breast. “I’ll do anything for you.”

Sakura whispered back, stroking his head and back. “Thank you. I’ll do the same for you. For now, you should rest. We’ll have to fight them eventually.”

She could feel him shiver again, and tried to decide what to do. With him being naked, save for his trunk underwear, there was no way it wouldn’t be awkward. But who cared? They had said everything to each other except “I love you”. So Sakura had no qualms about gently sliding him off her, rolling onto her side, and then pulling him back in. Her arms and legs were wound around his back and legs, cradling him into the only warmth she could give him. She knew he wouldn’t accept his clothes back. She knew all too well what kind of man Yuji was.

The kind who would comfort you with his dying breath. The kind who would serve you food while he starved. Well, we’re both going to make it through this. No matter what it takes.

Sakura found she liked Yuji’s head on her chest, so she guided it there once again, but she draped one of her arms over his ear, to stop the heat from escaping his rapidly-cooling body. She gave him an affectionate squeeze, then closed her eyes, silently willing him to do the same. They fell asleep like that, intertwined with each other in the most pure of embraces.
--

When they woke up the next morning, it was to the sound of their tormenters coming back. Yuji gently pushed Sakura behind him, glaring at the attackers. But he made no move to counter.

“Do whatever you want to me, but don’t touch her.”

The two agents shrugged. Why not? They proceeded to give Yuji a good beating, leaving him scratched and bloodied, but with no real damage. His stare never wavered, as if daring them to keep going.

“…You’re tough, Yuji. I’ll give you that. But what if I go for the girl?”

Yuji was on him in a second, the man’s arm trapped behind his back.

“Well, you’d be breaking your word And then I’d be breaking you.”

“Oh? Why is that?” the agent chuckled. “You love her or something?”

“Yeah, I do,” Yuji said defiantly. “I do love her.”

“Yeah? But how much?”

“Enough to be willing to kill you, if it means keeping her safe. Don’t make that an option,” Yuji warned, cinching up his hold, looking for the other agent out of the corner of his eye.

The agents looked at each other, nodded, and left.

“Did you mean that, Yuji?” Sakura asked in a placid voice. “I mean…about loving me?”

Yuji, his adrenaline rush gone, knelt down next to her. He screwed up his courage, looked her in the eye, and said:
“Yes. I meant it. Every word. I’ve sat on this crush for years. For too long. And now I…I’m just glad it’s out there.”

Sakura pulled him again into the comfort of a hug. Maybe she was overcome with the emotion of the moment, but she felt a surge of affection for Yuji and gripped him tighter. He returned that grip, setting his head on her shoulder.

In the cold room, they curled up together underneath the thin blanket, shivering in each other’s arms. But there was an unspoken tension in the air. This felt…natural. Being like this. Sakura shifted tighter to Yuji. Yuji pulled her in closer, sliding his arms around her waist to pull her closer. They were exchanging a tight embrace that was laced with a deep affection for each other.

Sakura could feel Yuji hesitating as they sat in the cool darkness. He wanted to do or say something more, but couldn’t get it out. So she took the initiative. She’d already held his face to her breast without feeling any shame. So why would a kiss be any more awkward?

It wasn’t. She pulled his head in, making herself the ‘aggressor’, thereby letting him know it was okay and that she was in charge. He returned her kiss, sliding slower so that her head was above his, letting her know that he was fine with that. They kissed a little more, but despite the obvious temptation to go further, they stopped there, holding each other and silently enjoying each other’s company.
-

The door opened the next morning, and Yuji was ready for them. He immediately leapt on one agent, striking a series of pressure points to paralyze him. The agent fell to the ground, while his partner tried to go for his sword.

Sakura’s hand trapped the sword in it’s sheathe as her elbow connected with the agent’s face, shattering the mask. Yuji, meanwhile, had the sword he had taken at the neck of the other ANBU agent. As per their plans, Sakura held her agent hostage while Yuji checked the hallway. The other agent could now move again, and he charged. Sakura threw her hostage at him as Yuji pulled the heavy iron door closed on them.

Yuji closed his eyes, and exhaled.
--

Yuji let himself awaken slowly, his hands still clasped in the sign for the genjutsu. He looked at the clock- he had held himself in that genjutsu for nearly a full day.

I’m getting better. I could never hold it that long before. Although I guess I was motivated, since I got the girl in the end.

That was a little too pathetic for Yuji. Dreaming about his crush in a genjutsu like that (he wondered why, even in his fantasies, did he get his @$$ kicked). He decided today was the day to do something about it. Maybe he would celebrate his achievements in genjutsu by going on a date. And he knew just the girl to ask out. He looked at himself in the mirror and began to practice.

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