Spotlight

“You’re the worst.”

She was even more convinced as she struggled to keep up with the man’s brisk pace which was actually just his normal walk. Those long legs took strides about a mile long and could easily leave her in the dust if not for her prior experience walking with Ino- She could've been a model with legs like hers.

Sakura sped up to match Sasuke's speed, trotting alongside him.

The idol glanced to his side noticing the maid difficulty in keeping up. Out of competitive spite Sasuke quickened his pace.

“You started it,” He replied.

The maid scoffed in disbelief. “No, that was you. You tried to distract me.” She was speed walking now with her arms pumping at her side.

"Me?!" He was incredulous until he remembered that it was partly true. "It's hot, okay? It isn't a crime to take of my shirt and stretch once in a while; This is my house if you've forgotten.”

Maybe it was his stubborn streak forcing his legs to move with a mind of their own but as soon as she caught up to him, he went a notch faster. It was a familiar dynamic they had; A snarky comment from her, and he would one-up it. He would challenge her and she would accept it, only to turn it around on him. Nowadays it was just what they did, this dance.

"You're such a liar." Sakura accused as the gravel path transitioned to stone and cement signaling their approach to the pool area and closer to the mansion.

Sasuke clicked his tongue. ”Why do you care if I take off my clothes in front of you? Do you like what you see?” His muscles flexed tauntingly- A toned testament to his hard work in the gym. Sakura pushed ahead of him and averted her eyes.

“Maybe…” His tone serious, “You’re a virgin?”

He expected a snarky retort and a flustered face from Sakura but instead, she shoved him dangerously close to the pool’s edge.

Sasuke teetered over the ledge with flailing arms as he exclaimed in panic. Sakura stopped in her tracks. A mischievous grin on her lips before it widened in her fit of laughter. She grabbed her belly as a mixture of pain and joy fatigued her midsection while Sasuke still struggled to find his balance.

When he found his footing, Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief and stood straight while Sakura’s laughter died into a quiet giggle. His dark eyes met her light ones.

"You better start running.” A threat accompanying his solemn expression. He took a small step towards the woman, the smirk on her face an acceptance of the challenge.

She cocked her hip to one side. The words fell from her tongue dangerously.

”Or what?"

The charge of her sentence caught him off guard. Even though he was sure she didn’t intend the sensual undertone of those two words, he couldn’t help but imagine her in that tiny maid’s outfit she wore on her first day. Sasuke bit the inside of his cheek as his eyes dragged down the length of Sakura’s body.

Her eyes widened and her body shivered beneath his gaze. There was something different about it. Something replaced the iciness of his glare and turned it into something more… carnal. It was a look she had seen before at one in the morning at a sleezy bar with Ino, or in videos she watched, lonely, and late at night all alone with just a laptop and her fingers. She felt herself faltering in the same way her knees shook during those late nights.

In a nervous habit, she cleared her throat hoping the sound would draw attention back from where it once strayed. Sasuke’s eyes snapped back to her face in reaction to the sound and noticed the pink of her cheeks so vibrant it nearly matched her hair. She turned her head away slightly, pretending to look off into the expanse of the backyard. The idol observed her side profile for but a moment, ingraining the slope of her nose and curve of her lips in his mind.

“I-I’m going to shower,” She managed.

“Mm," He nodded.

Sakura slid the glass door sideways enough for her body to slip through and held it there until Sasuke followed suit. They made their way through the living room towards the foyer, the whole way Sakura wincing at each step they took and knowing she would have her clean their dusty footprints from the carpet later. And with each print she would be reminded of the idol’s naked torso and flammable gaze.

Crossing into the foyer together, the two noticed a short line of fidgety workers organized down the hall near the restroom Sakura typically uses. Sakura looked at them questioningly, then down at her dirtied clothes, then back to her coworkers.

What’s going on here? I need to shower before I track dirt everywhere.

Sakura approached the line consisting of Ten-Ten, Rock Lee, and Neji while Sasuke stood in the distance on his way to the staircase, pausing out of curiosity.

“Ten-Ten, what’s going on?” She noticed how the woman rocked on her heels anxiously while Neji grabbed at his stomach and Lee had his forehead to the wall. "If somebody's in there, why don't you just use one of the other bathrooms?" Sakura wondered. There were five bathrooms Sakura was aware of and it could absolutely be a possibility there are more.

Ten-Ten cringed when the fluids in her stomach forced a gurgling sound, “They’re all occupied! I think we either ate too much or-“ She paused in a wince, “We got food poisoning.”

Sakura thought back to a biology class she took and wondered if it was possible for everyone to eat the same food while only some where effected by food poisoning. She wasn’t exactly sure, but she knew she felt horrible for them having to go through it.

A voice echoed behind her at a distance, ”So there's somebody in my bathroom as well?" Sasuke questioned defensively.

Ten-Ten shook her head in response and Sakura rolled her eyes in his selfishness.

“Shikamaru warned not to use yours because he knew you would need- I mean ow!" The brown-haired maid caught a sly elbow to her ribs making her yelp in pain.

Damn you, Lee!

A worried Sakura came to her side. "Ten-Ten, are you okay? I'll help you up to Sasuke's-"

"No, I'm fine. I think Naruto is almost done in there anyway. Just hurry and wash yourselves upstairs." She said almost suggestively and gave a slight push to send her Sasuke’s direction. Sakura then gave a hesitant nod and looked to Sasuke, who was already staring at her.

She approached the first step of the staircase and set her hand on the wooden rail to steady herself and looked back at Sasuke from over her shoulder almost expectantly.

Sasuke’s black brow quirked and took a half step forward saying, ”I’m using my bathroom first-"

Faster than he could finish speaking, she neared the top of the staircase with a string of insults and threats pursuing her.

Their hurried steps faded fast upstairs. A slam of a door, then pounding on wood.

Generally a good sign.

As soon as they assumed safety, Ten-Ten, Lee and Neji stood upright with a smile.
_________

She was a competitive spirit, yes, but that didn’t inherently mean she was fair. A little head start didn’t hurt especially when it was to her advantage because without the bathroom lock, she would have never had the strength to keep Sasuke from bursting in. Sakura slumped with her back against the door, catching her breath as Sasuke's pounding fists vibrated through the wood.

She laughed mischievously accompanied by triumphant smile while the idol continued to berate the door between them.

“Sakura, let me in! I'm getting my floor dirty!" He demanded.

"Why don't you let me think for a minute," Sakura paused for a moment with a finger to her lip, the obvious answer hanging in the air, “no!"

It was only fair to treat him the way he treated her.

“Oh my god,” He muttered under his breath, “You know what? Fine.”

The maid heard footsteps walking away from the door and only moments later she heard drawers pulled open only to bang shut a second later. She could hear the shift of unknown items and a gentle rustle of papers in the master bedroom but Sakura paid no mind as she was too busy admiring the room she was trapped in. Slowly now, she drifted deeper into the bathroom cavern, admiring each detail.

The first thing she noticed was a pair of square sinks and vanity space along a wall which she guessed was nearly ten feet long. The sinks were porcelain and partnered with stainless steel necks at the crest, and surrounded by an island of brown speckled marble which stretched the length of the wall. Each sink sported a rectangular mirror directly above on the opposite wall and ordained with vanity lights. Sakura observed herself in one of the mirrors, recognizing this part of the bathroom from a picture Sasuke had posted to social media (shirtless, obviously.)

To the right, three steps lead down to a smaller (yet outrageously still spacious) room about half the width of the main bathroom. Curiously, Sakura approached the top step and stood in the doorway peering out to find a large tub with water jets and a shelf of fresh white towels sitting at the bottom.

She ambled down the steps with her cleaner hand mindlessly dragging the wall after her until she encountered a smaller rectangular tub with clawed feet and a walk-in shower sitting opposite the larger jet tub.

Sakura had seen her fair share of fancy tubs in hotel bathrooms she split with Ino on a rare vacation together, but nothing compared to this. The smaller tub was unusually long compared to other tubs she had seen and she reasoned it must have been custom made to Sasuke’s tall stature, and maybe even his father’s.

This thought begged the question; Who and where was he, Mr. Uchiha? Why hasn’t anyone mentioned his dad?

As fast as the thought came, it went.

Next, her eyes moved to the walk in shower which was big enough to fit half of the hospitality team inside.

Is it really necessary for this to be so big? She wondered as she pulled open the frosted glass door with a click. A tiered shelf stood propped in the corner, bottles of shampoo, conditioner and body wash lining it. Sakura beamed with excitement to finally wash the gunk from her body.

After untying her apron and folding it into a neat square, the maid pushed her pink hair to the side as she reached for the zipper on the back of her dress. Just as her dress dropped to the floor, the sound of a key fit into a lock causing panic in her. Instinctively, Sakura covered her chest still clothed by a black bra and whirled around to see Sasuke swinging a single key on a ring around his finger.

"I am the master, and I carry the master key.” He said as he crossed the threshold into the bathroom. His eyes searched the room for Sakura until he met an emerald pair of eyes glimmering under the light, and a pair of breasts resting in a bed of black lace.

Sasuke gasped exasperatedly, turned away, and covered his eyes with one hand while Sakura attempted to make use of her other limbs to cover herself modestly.

“G-Grab a robe from the linens!” More of a panicked request rather than an order.

Sakura looked around frantically until she remembered the shelves of clean towels, and upon closer inspection, fluffy robes. She opened one up and threaded her arm through the first, then second arm, and after tied a knot around her waist. Her voice called out to Sasuke when she was covered.

Hesitantly, Sasuke turned forward and peeked through the slits of his fingers to find the woman with her arms crossed over her chest and a flustered expression on her face. He dragged his hand down his face noticing how hot he felt.

“S-sasuke,” She said timidly.

The idol noticed how she looked away shyly, almost innocently and in that moment, he knew he wanted her. He wanted to approach her, comfort her, and let her know there was nothing to be afraid of. He would ask for her consent and reassure her that he would be gentle as he undid her robe.

“Y-yes?” He responded, moving down the steps towards her.

“You’re such a pervert!” She threw her soiled dress at his chest and the man stumbled back in recoil and surprise.

With the thoughts he just had, he might be.

“I am not!” His face went a bright shade of red, “Put your clothes back on, I'm going first." Sasuke claimed and reached for the door handle only to have it slapped away by Sakura.

“No. I got here first, so you can wait outside." She moved her body to block the entrance to the shower.

"I told you, I don't want to get the floors dirty. I'm actually trying to keep my room in shape now."

She could tell there was an ounce of credibility to this statement and Sakura wondered how she could solve this problem and have it benefit both of them. An idea popped into her mind that made her noticeably activated.

Her eyes fell to the floor, ”T- Then… you have to promise not to look."

Sasuke looked up in confusion, the robe falling off Sakura’s left shoulder ever so slightly to reveal the black strap and the shape of her clavicle. It dawned on him she was suggesting he stay in the room as she showered so he wouldn’t track dirt around. Before his mind had a chance to contest, his mouth took over and he agreed.

Sakura watched as Sasuke sat with his feet inside the large jet tub facing away from her. Although Sakura said nothing, the voice in her head screamed while her fingers fumbled with the knot of her belt.

What are you doing Sakura, you idiot?! I just need to get out of here- fast.

Finally, she undid the robe and hung it on a hook nearby. Hastily she peeled back her stockings along with her underwear and unhooked her bra. She shivered as she stepped into the shower and cowered into a corner near the waterfall shower head and proceeded to twist the knob at a request for warm water. As the water plopped against the tile heavily, Sakura offered her hand to test the temperature and was overjoyed in the comfort it provided. A soft sigh escaped her lips.

The two sat in an awkward silence until Sasuke spoke.

"Hurry up.” It was a plain attempt with little conviction.

She replied with a “hmph” and continued to douse her head underneath the fall of water. It took three rounds shampoo for the water to run clear, all the while, Sakura listened to Sasuke nag about taking too long.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m done.” The water stopped with a twist of a knob and the maid twisted her hair in small portions to wring excess water.

She leaned out to reach for her towel, only to realize she had forgotten to hang one.

“Sasuke, can you hand me a towel… please?”

Moments later, a towel flung over the top of the frosted shower glass and she thanked him quietly. She dried herself, wrapped the towel around her torso and stepped out.

The raven-haired man stood outside of the tub now as he began to unbuckle his belt in preparation for his turn while she pretended that the scene in front of her didn’t turn her on. What she wouldn’t give to be the one working his belt and tugging at his pants until she freed his-

“Sakura,”

She was staring, and he caught her.

She cleared her throat, “What?” It came out a bit aggressively.

He nodded his head towards the vanity in the main bathroom where a pile of clothes, which weren’t hers, sat patiently in a pile. Pink brows furrowed in confusion and before she could object he cut her off.

“I’m not letting you go downstairs in just a towel or a robe.”

His words were final, singed with a tone of protectiveness Sakura had never heard before. Her heart skipped involuntarily and her mouth went dry. The only thing she could manage was a nod of her head as she passed him to move up the stairs.

Sasuke watched as the pinkette padded up the stairs quickly, the backside of her revealing a black spot on the back of her upper shoulder and neck area.

Really, this girl…

The man stepped into the shower and turned on the water to where it was once again wam, standing out of the way of the flow of water.

"Sakura, come here.”

Her steps grew closer and once again she emerged in the towel, irritated and embarrassed having been called back before she could change.

“What is it now?” She said hotly.

In a split second, Sasuke reached out and grabbed her shoulder, pulling her into the shower once more.

The sudden and unexpected change of events knocked her off balance and she fell face first into a hard surface, wet and warm. The first thing that registered in her mind was she was in the shower full soaked— again— towel and all. And secondly, she could hear her heart beating clearly in one ear.

Thu-Thump..... Thu-Thump... Thu-Thump.. . Thu-thump, Thu-Thump, Thu-Thump....

Or was it hers?

The beating of Sasuke's heart was muffled but still audible. Sakura's eyes widened in awe at how his heart rate drastically increased in a matter of seconds.

She shielded her eyes from the spray of water on her face as her other hand busied with clutching her towel from falling. As she opened them, she could see a prominent chest and chiseled abs, and in that moment she knew, she fell for him again.

The young woman’s body began to tremble slightly, as she pulled back against Sasuke's embrace and out of the water. Sakura met the idol’s gaze timidly, his black irises the abyss in which she continues to fall.

And for once, she wanted to fall. She wanted to feel her stomach flip with butterflies from the downward pull of his gravity. She wanted him, in more ways than one.

But would he catch her?

Sasuke’s hand tightened around her waist, the towel beneath now soaked through and heavy with water. All at once, he forgot what he was doing and why he pulled her in the first place. But what he did know was the look on her face was driving him insane. Sakura's jade eyes were fixated on his own to which he held the gaze for a moment and broke off only to admire Sakura's plump pink lips, perfect to sink his teeth into.

Mindlessly, Sasuke's muscles tensed bringing Sakura even closer than she already was. The steam of the shower and the tension rising were suffocating. Their eyes remained locked as Sasuke's hand traveled up Sakura's back and gently rubbed the back of her neck.

“You missed a spot.”