"Please, be careful tonight, Sakura. There are so many perverts out there!" Mebuki warned, her eyes brimming with her maternal fretfulness.

Sakura smiled reassuringly at her mother. "I will, Mom. I'll be home safe and sound, okay?"

Mebuki nodded, wishing her a fun day and closed the door. Sakura headed toward the park, the sun slowly sinking below the horizon. The streets were filled with many of Konoha's inhabitants as, they too, ventured toward the park - ready to celebrate their annual winter celebration.

Today was Konoha's Founding Day where two men, Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, cultivated the land that was now a bustling city. The city's council often had volunteers construct a line of stalls to celebrate the event. Most people came during the afternoon, but others joined after sunset to enjoy the snow sculptures, taiyaki, and stargazing. She was unfortunately busy throughout the day, running errands for her parents, but her mother allowed her some time to enjoy the festivities. Entering through the open gate, she searched for her friends.

She had spent a week away from them after the cabins, thinking deeply over everything that had occurred. She didn't want to hurt them, but they were right. She shouldn't be afraid to express her feelings to the person she cared about.

Unfortunately, even with their reassurance, she was still anxious.

She had that person in mind that she had always been curious about. He had interested her in many different ways, but she couldn't say that she was romantically interested until only a month ago - even before she had realized they all had feelings for her.

It was hard for her. Sakura really wished she had Ino to talk to about this.

A hand grazed her shoulder, startling her out of her thoughts. Turning around, Sasori stood, wearing a heavy coat that seemed slightly too big on him. A hat covered the majority of his messy, red hair, but the curly ends stuck out along with his shaggy bangs.

"I tried calling your name a few times, but you didn't answer. Thinking about something?" he asked.

Sakura shook her head, regaining her lost composure. "No, it's fine. Are the others here, Sasori-kun?"

"Yeah, let's go meet them," he said.

Sakura agreed, walking beside him, the snow crunching underneath her boots. It had been over a week since they shared their kiss and Sasori wondered if it was time to express his concerns with her. He couldn't just brush it off, it continued to linger in his mind like a bitter taste that wouldn't go away. In his heart, he knew that if he didn't speak with her, he would very easily go mad.

"You look pretty serious," Sakura noted. "What are you thinking about?"

Sasori smiled faintly, bowing his head. It wasn't the time to start a serious chat. To put it simply, he didn't want to ruin the day if the conversation swiftly turned negative. "It's nothing."

Sakura wasn't dense. She knew from that pondering look that he was troubled. She stopped, forcing Sasori to do the same.

"Sakura-chan, the others are waiting," he reminded.

"You promise that nothing's bothering you, Sasori-kun?" she asked.

His eyes dropped to the white powder covering the ground. "Well, nothing too serious. But Sakura-chan..." He bit his lip, a hue of red burning across his face. "Would you mind staying with me after the festival? I feel like I need to discuss something with you."

The thought of their shared kiss swept through her mind like a gust of wind through an open alley. That's what was bothering him! Of course, she couldn't say that she didn't feel any sort of response was needed. It was inappropriate to sweep it under the rug and pretend it never happened. "Sasori-kun, we-"

"Hey, what's taking you guys so long? Come on, we only have so much time before the stalls run out of food!" Deidara called, flailing his arms to grab their attention.

Sasori and Sakura laughed nervously, exchanging a knowing look. The two quickly made their way to the bench where the rest of their group sat.

The sun had almost departed over the horizon, a tiny sliver of light bleeding through the trees that surrounded the outside of the park. Packs of adults and students ran around the park, bundled up in their warmest attire.

"We should grab some taiyaki. I've been dying for some," Hidan declared, his mouth watering.

"Sounds good to me," Deidara agreed.

Sakura held her chin in her hand and stole a glance in Kakuzu's direction. "Not Kuzu-kun. He hates sweets."

Kakuzu pulled her cap over her eyes. "Shut it," he said flatly.

The pinkette pouted, fixing her hat to its original place just over her hairline. "Don't be mean."

"After we eat, we can enjoy some of the live music and then grab a spot for stargazing." Itachi suggested.

Kisame heaved a heavy sigh, "I can't stay that long. My family is going on a trip tomorrow, so I have to leave before eight."

"Where are you going, Kisame-kun?" Sakura asked.

"To Kirigakure. I have a few family members down there, so we're celebrating an early Christmas with them," he answered, his expression downcast. He loved his family, but it was so much fun spending time with Sakura.

"Christmas? My family doesn't do much for that." Sakura replied.

Itachi wrapped his scarf around his neck, an idea suddenly coming to his mind. "Hey, why don't we all have our own Christmas celebration? My parents aren't going to be home, so it will only be Shisui and me."

"Are they going to be visiting Sasuke-kun?" Sakura inquired.

The Uchiha nodded, "Yeah, so we can all just go buy some snacks and drinks and maybe even decorate."

"I'll bring some booze!" Hidan joined. Immediately, he looked to Sakura, embarrassed. "Unless you're not comfortable with that, Cherry-chan."

Sakura tried to smile reassuringly. She didn't like the taste of alcohol, so it didn't really matter to her if they drank. Even if she was to participate, she wasn't going to be afraid of anything. "No, I'm okay! I can help pick out some things we can do for the party too! Oh, I can buy a Christmas cake!"

"It's settled then. This weekend, we can celebrate the holiday with our own party," Itachi decided.

Deidara popped his knuckles. "That's great, but can we focus on today? I'm really wanting some food!" He hadn't stopped to eat since breakfast and his stomach was growling loudly.

...

With the full moon now rising and the stalls paper lanterns casting a warm light, it was only expected for couples to flock through the park, taking in the romantic atmosphere. Sakura enjoyed playing some of the stall games and eating a few pastries.

"This almost reminds me of New Year's," she spoke.

Itachi examined the paper lanterns and a few people dressed in their traditional robes. "What will you be doing for New Year's, Sakura-chan?" he asked.

"I don't know yet if my family has plans. If they don't, we could always group together." Sakura said, shrugging her shoulders.

Itachi's vision glanced over at a couple sharing a kiss. Gazing down at the lovely freshman standing beside him, he wondered how it felt for Sasori and Deidara to kiss her. The thought made his heart race, he had held her in his arms, but a kiss was so much more intimate. With his eyes darting around the area, searching for any of the others, he found them occupying their time with a quick game of darts at another stall.

He bent forward, his hair dangling over her shoulder. Sakura turned to him slightly. "Senpai? Do you need something?" she asked innocently.

He definitely didn't want to force it on her or do it so spontaneously - that would anger her and he knew that. Besides, he also respected her enough to ask permission beforehand. But would that be too strange? She had spent a week away from them with her thoughts, so it could be possible that she had decided her feelings.

"Hey, here's a cozy couple!" an older man exclaimed, a camera hoisted around his neck.

They hadn't realized that the man was talking to them until he approached them. "I'm with the newspaper and we're taking a few pictures of the festival. You two wouldn't mind having your picture taken together, right?"

A young man behind him grinned, "You're such a sweet-looking couple! It will only take a minute, we promise!"

"Oh, we're not a-" Sakura was interrupted as the younger man pushed them closer together.

Readying the shot with his camera, the older man lifted his free hand and gestured to Itachi. "Good, good. Now, how about a quick kiss, yes? A peck on the cheek would be great!"

Well, this seemed to be a window of opportunity coaxing him inside. Itachi looked at her with a smile. "Would you mind, Sakura-chan?" he asked politely.

Sakura fumbled with the zipper of her coat. "I don't know if I'd want to..." she responded shyly. If they published her photo in the paper, her father would definitely share a word or two with her.

"Oh, come on! One little peck won't hurt!" the man pressed.

Itachi's smile faded as he read how uncomfortable she was. Raising his hand, Itachi dismissed the two men. "I'm sorry, but we'll have to refuse. Thank you for the offer."

The man scowled, lowering his camera. "Fine, fine. Come on, let's go look for someone else." He turned on his heels as his assistant scurried behind him.

Sakura exhaled a breath of relief. "Thank goodness. If my father were to find out then he would be so angry."

"Yeah," Itachi responded with a short chuckle.

However, Itachi felt a wave of nausea envelop his stomach. It worried him that she didn't seem interested in him. What could he be doing wrong?

The others joined them once more, Hidan presented Sakura with a charm for her phone. The chain held a flat, cherry-shaped metal piece fastened to the end.

"What's this? Did you win this for me?" she asked, examining the cute accessory.

Hidan crossed his arms and smiled triumphantly. "Yep! I was the only one that could pop all of the balloons!"

"After your sixth try," Kisame mumbled.

"Shouldn't you be going home, fish boy?" Hidan growled, hearing Kisame's retort.

Kisame checked his watch and sighed sadly. "I guess." Dammit! It was the perfect night and he had to spend it packing a suitcase and sleeping early.

"I hope you have a safe trip, Kisame-kun." Sakura smiled up at him as she placed her new charm onto her phone. "Tell me all about it when you get home, okay?"

The senior blushed while hiding his face with his hood. "I will. Have a good night, Sakura-chan." He waved to his club mates then retreated to the nearest exit.

...

The weather was growing colder and many attendees had made their way home after ten o'clock. By this time, several of the stalls had run out of food and closed for the rest of the night.

The remaining members of the Student Council had rested a few thick blankets on the ground, protecting them from the snow while allowing them to lay down and gaze at the stars. Several others had done the same and the night had grown quiet, only whispers carried through the wind as the remaining noise.

Hidan sneezed, rubbing at his nose. "Man, I can't stay any longer. I don't want to get sick and miss our party." He sneezed once more. "I'm going home."

"I hope you don't catch a cold, Hidan-kun," Sakura called out as he packed up a few of his things.

"I'll be alright. Hey, whoever leaves last, don't forget my blanket or I'll throttle you. Anyway, see you guys when I see you," he sniffed.

Kakuzu searched through his phone the entire time - he was never really interested in the star-watching activity. As they continued to sit out, Kakuzu was the next to leave, his boredom finally achieved after his low-battery light came on.

"Text me if you guys have any plans for the rest of the week before the party," he stated.

"We will," Itachi said, propping his head up with his hands.

"See you Kuzu-kun." Sakura waved.

He grunted while lumbering through the snow. Deidara shot up abruptly, his snoring waking him. "Hey, is he leaving? Wait, Kakuzu, I'll come with you!"

"Why are you leaving?" Sasori questioned.

Deidara grinned sheepishly. "Kakuzu is supposed to pay me back for the train ride here! We live, well, sort-of close to each other."

"He's a cheap-o, he's not going to pay you back without a fight," Sasori replied.

Deidara shook his head fervently. "No way! That ticket was super expensive!"

"You better catch him then," Itachi said, pointing at the small silhouette of Kakuzu leaving the park.

Deidara scrambled off of the blanket, cutting through the snow-covered ground and towards the open gate. "H-hey, Kakuzu! Don't forget what you said!" he shouted.

Sakura giggled, "Deidara-kun is so funny."

"I thought he had enough common sense to never loan money to Kakuzu," Itachi joked.

The trio spent the next hour relaxing, sharing a conversation or two. Itachi's phone vibrated in his pocket, a ringtone accompanying quickly after. Answering, Itachi was met with the chiding voice of his mother.

"Itachi, where are you?! Don't you know how late it is?" Mikoto said sharply.

Itachi sighed, "Sorry, I was just enjoying the time. Would it be too much trouble if I stayed longer?"

"No, Itachi. With your condition, it'd be too much of a hassle in this weather. You've stayed long enough," she decided firmly.

Groaning, Itachi reluctantly agreed. Standing up, he presented his hand to Sakura. "It's getting late. Want to walk home together, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura sat up, wrapping her arms around her knees. "Err, I would, but Sasori-kun and I need to talk."

Itachi's eyes met with Sasori's. It was puzzling him that she would spend any more time here in the cold rather than walk home with him. He feigned an understanding smile and pulled his hand back.

"Of course. Take care of yourself on the way home. It's dangerous at night," he instructed.

"I'll walk her home if I have to," Sasori said.

Itachi frowned. Yes, he was jealous and mildly insulted. As he walked through the stalls, the lanterns hovering over his head, he looked back. Sakura had remained sitting up while Sasori continued to lay on his side.

He had only the thought of their kiss as the topic of their conversation, but that was only because it was bothering Sasori so much. Did Sakura even care? He wanted to believe that it was a mistake - that she didn't mean it - but he only knew what Sasori had told him and that wasn't much.

Well, it wasn't in his hands now. He promised her that he would still be her friend, no matter what happened.

...

Stars illuminated the night sky along with the beautiful, full moon. Even now, the lanterns around the stalls weren't necessary to light the night.

Sasori could hardly breathe. Like before, he just didn't know how to start discussing that day's event. He wasn't someone that could easily confront the person he loved about a situation that meant so much to him. If she brushed it off as though it never happened, he'd be completely crushed.

"Sasori-kun, I'm sorry about that day." Sakura blurted.

His heart sank. Was she apologizing because it was a mistake?

"It all just happened so quickly. The dancing and the music... I was so happy with you and I feel as though I could have hurt you." she admitted.

Sasori rose from the blanket, his hands in his lap. "I wasn't hurt by what happened, just confused."

"I know that it bothered you while in Iron Country." she pointed out.

Sasori closed his eyes, his body leaning forward. "A lot of things bothered me then for good reason. The guys and I had a fight and we were all on edge. My mind just couldn't keep up with my mouth."

What are you going to do? Spend it on each boy like we're some free toy to play around with?!

Sakura-chan, what did that day even mean? Was it just some sort of test? Did I fail you?

Clouds wafted through the night sky, shading the light of the moon. Small snowflakes fell down, dancing through the soft, chilling breeze.

"I had a lot of fun that day," Sakura reminisced.

Sasori smiled softly. "Me too." He glimpsed at her, his curiosity over his unanswered questions overwhelming his mind. "Sakura-chan."

"Yes?"

"You've..." He bit his lip and smiled nervously at her as anxiety crept over him. "You've had enough time, right? Would you mind if I asked you something?"

Sakura caught her breath. Waiting patiently, Sasori twisted his body for their eyes to meet. Taking her gloved hands, she could feel how much he was trembling from the cold and his nerves.

"Was that kiss a mistake to you?"

Her sight dropped to their hands wrapped around each other. A strange sensation erupted in her stomach. "Sasori-kun, I didn't mind kissing you," she whispered.

Sasori's heart was in a vicegrip, his eyes widening. He tightened his hold around her delicate hands, unable to feel her warmth through their thick gloves, but he knew that she understood how he was feeling.

"I just don't know much about you. I can't believe that I hadn't cared to ask. I'm embarrassed because I've been so selfish towards all of you," she said.

"No, that's not true. You're not selfish at all, Sakura-chan."

"Yes, I am. I should have known sooner about your home life, but I chose not to," she replied, a sad smile on her face.

Sasori tried to reassure her, "Sakura-chan, please don't beat yourself up. I didn't want others to know. You remember, right? I didn't want other people to feel sorry for me and give out hollow apologies."

A young man, not much older than the two of them, strummed on his guitar to the young woman sitting beside him, serenading her with romantic lyrics. Sakura and Sasori listened, content with a nice filler from the silence.

Stealing a glance at him, Sakura smiled. Sasori was so kind and always wanted to make sure she was happy. When she had first spoke with him, she was intimidated. It was silly, but his quiet, indifferent countenance made it difficult for her to act appropriately.

"Sasori-kun, can I ask you a question now?" Sakura asked, breaking him away from the tune.

"What is it?"

She played with the ends of her hair. "What is it that made you all like me?" she asked.

Well, that wasn't something he had expected. He pulled down on the hood of his coat, covering his eyes as he hid his embarrassment. "I don't know what it was that made the others like you, but..." He could feel the pulsating of his heartbeat in his ears. "I didn't have feelings for you initially. I thought you were some clueless girl that Itachi forced into the Student Council as a favor."

"Oh."

Sasori swiftly turned to her, exposing how red his face was. "But that was only at the beginning, I swear. During Golden Week, at that jewelry shop, you told me that you wanted to get to know me because I seemed really nice." He fidgeted uncomfortably, fixated on the loose strings jutting from the old blanket underneath them. "No-one had said that to me before. I was really shocked to hear it. I was the one that hated going to school, probably always having a pissed-off look on my face. I wondered, 'How could I seem nice to her?' It confused me." He took a break - he wasn't used to expressing this much of his feelings.

"Sasori-kun, you don't need to tell me everything. I'm fine with that much," she said softly.

"No, it's not a problem for me," he said hastily. He fumbled around with the loose strings around the seam of the blanket. "That's when I started feeling something. You actually wanted to talk to me, to get to know me. And it made me happy.

"When I found out how the others felt about you, I started feeling really insecure about myself. We didn't have a lot of time to spend together other than the Student Council and I didn't have the confidence to really put myself out there. I wanted to tell you all about my life and I wanted to know more about yours too." He stopped to make sure she was listening. The look of sincere focus had him believing she was. "After exams, while we were cleaning the classrooms, I wondered if it was one of those spare moments that I could actually have you to myself. But I screwed up and acted like a jerk, so I thought I ruined any chance I had with you. I still feel like an idiot for getting so upset."

"Sasori-kun, you had every right to get upset. You lost both of your parents and I can't even begin to imagine how that feels for you," Sakura reminded.

Sasori smiled weakly. "I still don't find that to be a reasonable excuse. I didn't have to be an asshole about it."

"But you know that I didn't think that about you."

"Yeah, I know." He glanced at her. "I couldn't believe that you made such a ridiculous request of me. Once we were finished, I felt really bad that I didn't have anything good to bring up."

Sakura smiled brightly. "And then we started talking about those old festivals and the cheesy dance music!"

Sasori nodded, "Yeah, and then you made me dance even though I said I wasn't good at it. You're so stubborn." His smile widened as she stuck her tongue out at him playfully. "Dancing with you... was amazing. We got so close and it all seemed so dream-like. I'll never forget how it felt," he admitted quietly, his voice a murmur in her ears.

He hid his face from her again - his cheeks, ears, and the nape of his neck burned as he realized how openly he spoke. He probably looked like a girl to her, expressing all of these feelings. Sasori could no longer feel the chill in the air. Was he sweating?

"Sasori-kun." Her hand pulled on him, trying to make him face her.

He held his hand over his face, failing to shield her eyes from seeing how vulnerable he was. She was just so cute and sweet - every time he looked at her, he just loved her more.

"I don't want you to feel bad for me if you don't share the same feelings," he started, lowering his gaze. "I'd just want to make sure the person that you liked treated you right."

Her eyes widened for a moment, but she recovered. At the beginning of the school year, Sasori was withdrawn and didn't speak much. Even now, he didn't speak as much as the others, but he always stayed within the group. He wasn't one to confront others unless he had to. Sasori also didn't like to share his feelings with others. This wasn't something unknown to their friends, everyone knew in the Student Council how shy Sasori could be.

But seeing how Sasori was right now made her truly happy. Even dating Utakata, she hadn't heard such kind words from a boy. He was speaking from his heart and that's what Sakura loved. As he turned to her, worried over her silence. She saw the hue of red marking his cheeks.

So cute.

"Thank you, Sasori-kun." The streetlights around the park were slowly dimming, one-by-one. They hadn't realized it was past midnight.

"Maybe I should walk you home," Sasori said.

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want you to miss your train."

"It's fine. I'd feel better knowing that you made it home safe," he replied.

Sakura accepted his offer and they quickly rolled up the blankets, stuffing them into the duffel bag Sakura brought.

Exiting through the park's open gate, Sasori and Sakura walked together. The moon had steadily drifted through the sky, casting its light down on them as they traveled through a darker portion of the neighborhood. He held the duffel bag with one hand and wrapped his other around Sakura's shoulders. The rancid smell of cigarettes and alcohol engulfed his senses. As if on cue, a drunken man sauntered around an open bar, barely able to maintain balance.

There wasn't a place to cross the street as the other side was blocked off due to construction. Sasori and Sakura held their breath as they passed by, their vision focused solely on the path ahead of them.

Obviously, their distance and avoidance only attracted the attention of the man. He yelled out something incoherent to them, something Sasori was used to.

"Just keep walking, we'll be fine," Sasori murmured.

With great force, Sasori was jerked back as the man grabbed hold of the duffel bag. He shouted out that the bag was his, mistaking them as thieves.

"Give it to me!" he growled.

Slowly, Sasori removed the bag around his shoulder. The man reached for it, but cried out as Sasori threw it into the road. The man cursed, running to retrieve it, but Sasori didn't take any chances. Grabbing hold of her, Sasori guided Sakura into an open alley, sprinting away from the bar. As they continued to the next block, Sasori released her, breathing heavily.

"Why did you give him the bag?" Hidan was going to be pissed that his blanket was taken.

Sasori peered over his shoulder at the girl swallowing deep breaths. "I could see it hanging out of his pocket. Just barely, though."

"What was it?"

"A knife," he answered.

"You think he was out to rob someone?" She was grateful that he insisted on walking her home.

Sasori shook his head. "Not necessarily. He was still wearing his construction vest, but I didn't want to take any chances." He turned to her, extending his hand. "Let's keep walking. I'm sure he's forgotten about us, but it's starting to get really cold."

Sakura noticed a tear at the seam of his sleeve connecting to the torso of the coat. "Ah, your coat was ripped." It must have torn from the guy yanking so hard on the bag while Sasori pulled back.

He examined the rip. "Oh." He ran his fingers along, but shrugged his shoulders. "It's okay. It was my dad's so it's pretty old anyway."

"That's your dad's?" Now she felt even worse about it.

Spying the guilt-ridden look on her face, Sasori tried to set her mind at ease. "Really, it's fine. You didn't cause it and it's just a tear at the seam - nothing to be worried about." He turned his back to her. "Geez, you've got to stop making that face."

"Eh, what's wrong with the look on my face?! I feel bad that your dad's jacket was damaged," she stated defensively.

"Nothing's wrong with it." He shifted his gait. "It's just... Nevermind, let's go." He motioned her to walk with him and the girl ran to catch up.

"What were your parents like, Sasori-kun?" she asked.

"Didn't I tell you that I don't really remember?" he said.

"Yeah, but there has to be a few things that stand out. You can't just forget about your entire life before middle school," she explained.

Sasori thought deeply about it. As they walked through the crosswalk, he jammed his hands in his pockets. "My mom really liked to cook. She'd make me lunches every day for school. She also got mad a lot when I'd come home with a bad grade. With my dad, he worked a lot, but tried to make up for it by helping me with my homework." He seemed to be losing a lot of air from his lungs. "I... don't want to talk about any more, right now."

She could sense how much it hurt him, but she also knew apologizing would make it worse. "That's fine." she replied. Sakura was fine waiting patiently for Sasori to be ready to share with her.

Finally reaching her house, Sakura waited at the door for her mother to unlock it, knocking a few times. The light beyond the entryway into the house turned on and her mother hurried to open the door for her daughter.

"How did it go? Did you have fun?" Mebuki asked.

"Yeah, they had a band playing and Hidan-kun won me a cute charm for my phone!" She gestured to Sasori. "Sasori-kun also walked me home safely too."

"Sasori?" Mebuki forced the two inside. "You haven't gone home yet, sweetie?"

"I just wanted to make sure that Sakura-chan would be safe on her way home," he answered politely.

Mebuki examined the time on the clock then faced the two high school students. "It's so late though. Are you sure you'll be fine walking to the train station?"

Sasori shrugged, "Yeah, I'll be okay. I've been out later."

This didn't sit well with the older woman. If it were her daughter, she'd feel uneasy allowing Sakura to venture out with all the thugs wandering around at night. "Sasori-chan, I don't feel comfortable with you leaving like this. Why don't you stay the night instead?"

"Stay the night?!" Sakura and Sasori exclaimed.

Mebuki nodded, a serious look crossing over her face. "Lots of things happen at night and I'd never forgive myself if something were to occur. Look, just call your family and make sure it's fine. I can even vouch for them if they don't agree. And, if it comes to it, I'll drive you home myself."

"Mom, you're a terrible driver." Sakura deadpanned.

Mebuki pinched Sakura's cheek in a teasing manner and smiled wryly at her. "You shut your little mouth or I'll unleash every embarrassing story I have in my arsenal." she threatened.

"Duly noted," Sakura stammered. She would never question her mother, even if she was bluffing.

"Now, Sasori-chan, could you please call? I'll even set up the futon we have stored in the closet for you," Mebuki offered.

Sasori excused himself, entering the bathroom. He knew that calling his house was a fruitless effort. After it reached their answering machine for the fourth time, he gave up. His grandmother didn't care where he was anyway. What would the problem be if he decided to stay? Returning to the livingroom, he placed his phone back in his jeans' pocket.

"Is your grandmother alright with you staying here, Sasori-kun?" Sakura asked.

Sasori feigned a smile. "Yeah, she said it was fine. I really appreciate your kindness, Haruno-san." He bowed respectfully to her.

Mebuki waved her hand and laughed, "Oh, call me 'Mebuki-san'! Just make sure you guys leave in the early morning if you have any plans. Kizashi is at a conference, but he'll be home tomorrow at ten o'clock." She knew how her husband could be. If he found out that there was a boy over, he would probably suffer a heart attack!

"Why don't you go back to bed, Mom? I'll set up the futon for Sasori-kun," Sakura said.

"Thanks, make sure you spend your time sleeping!" The tone in her voice embarrassed both of them.

"M-mom! Don't say things like that!" she shouted.

Mebuki only laughed fiendishly before leaving for her bedroom. Sakura glanced at Sasori as he was still recovering from her mother's teasing. "Sorry... My mom always tries to embarrass me."

"It's fine," he answered quickly. Of course, he had never heard of a woman so mischievous before.

Sakura dressed in her pajamas privately in the bathroom then entered her room where Sasori was staying. They set out the futon on the floor of her bedroom and Sakura turned off the light and climbed into her own bed. She was reminded of the time Deidara had taken her home from the party. Oh, and how he took that embarrassing picture of her!

Now, she just wanted to make sure that he was just as comfortable sleeping in her room as she was.

"Are you sure you don't want some pajamas to wear? I can borrow some of my dad's," she suggested.

Sasori shook his head. "Nah, I'll wear what I have on."

Through her curtains, the light of the full moon still shined brightly, casting shadows through the room. Sakura could see Sasori's face, the one thing visible through the darkness. His eyes were still open, but he seemed to be thinking about something.

She wanted to know.

Sasori sat silently as Sakura crawled out of her bed and tiptoed towards him. He watched her mutely as she set her pillow beside him and laid on the floor.

"What's wrong?" she whispered.

Besides the fact that she was laying beside him like a married couple? "I couldn't get a hold of my grandmother," he mumbled.

"Why didn't you say anything? My mom would have driven you home," Sakura replied.

"It doesn't really matter if I ask for her permission or not." He turned on his side to completely face Sakura. "And I wanted to stay with you," he confessed.

Sakura gazed in his eyes as he smiled at her. She thought that she knew him, but now it all became clear to her. "Sasori-kun, you're lonely, aren't you?"

The hurt in his eyes made her regret what she had said. He rolled onto his back again, staring at her ceiling.

About to apologize, Sakura was interrupted by Sasori.

"You make it so hard." He brought his hands to his face, overlapping one over the other, hiding his eyes. "Why do you have to ask such questions?"

"Sasori-kun, how did your parents die?"

A lump formed in his throat. He knew this was coming.

His voice started out strong as he spoke, "My mother was diagnosed with gastric cancer when I was eleven. We all thought it was the same old pain she experienced every once in a while, but it just wouldn't go away. When she was younger, she used to get a lot of ulcers and had parts of her stomach removed, the doctors could only guess that that may have been the cause of the cancer."

Sakura's chest was heavy, but she continued to listen.

"They ran a few tests... She was sent to the hospital and stayed there for a few months. My dad would meet me there every night after he was finished working. We thought she'd be okay since a lot of people lived through it." He pressed his hands firmly against his eyes, gritting his teeth. "After one test, her doctor said that the cancer had grown through the gastric walls of her stomach, invading every nearby organ. By that time, they really didn't know how much longer she had left.

"After the diagnosis, my dad didn't visit as often anymore. He would only come to pick me up or drop me off. Dad would always have this fake smile on his face, but I could always see right through it. I didn't understand though, I just wanted to stay strong for Mom."

He released a sigh from his lungs. "It was... May 14th that I was called in to the principal's office. My dad was there and he looked like a mess. Initially, I was embarrassed that the principal saw my dad that way, but I realized what had happened pretty quickly. My mom had died alone in the hospital without anyone beside her, holding her hand or talking to her." Sakura could hear the struggle in his voice. "Four days later, I woke up in my bed at around eleven o'clock at night. My stomach was a little queasy, so i was going to my dad for the heating pad. When I walked past the bathroom, I saw him bent over the toilet, his arms around it like he had been sick too."

For a long while, Sasori didn't speak. He breathed deeply through his nose, trying to keep a steady rate. Sakura's heart was pounding in her chest. She hadn't realized she was clinging to his arm as tightly as she could.

"I tried shaking his shoulder, but he didn't move. I saw the bottle of pills on the counter, but I still didn't understand. I called my grandmother and told her and she called the police while I just sat there. I didn't know what had happened until I overheard one of the EMT's talking about suicide. The school was completely understanding and I was allowed a few weeks off, but I refused. I didn't want others to know or ask where I was. I was angry and confused to the point that I didn't think I'd have much of an explanation. I thought he was selfish for leaving me like that when we had only just lost Mom a few days earlier. I thought, Why would he leave me without a single thing? I didn't even get a note. I was left with nothing and I resented him for a long time. I hated him for leaving me alone while other kids had their parents with them, but my anger and jealousy was only projected onto them too. I didn't have any friends during middle school. In fact, the only reason Itachi recruited me to be on the Student Council was simply because of my grades."

Sakura burrowed her head into his shoulder. "I'm here for you now. I'll always be here for you."

Sasori maneuvered his arm, wrapping it around her and keeping her in place. She could tell by how hard he was holding her that he wanted her to stay that way. With his labored breaths as a sign, Sakura could tell that he didn't want her to see him cry.

"I wondered how could life get any easier. I was at this point where I couldn't move forward or move back, I was motionless. I thought I'd stay that way forever." He took control of his voice, keeping his tone calm. "But this year, I finally made a few close friends and I feel a lot happier with myself."

"Have you forgiven your dad for what happened?" she mumbled.

Sasori frowned. "I don't forgive him, but I understand his actions. He was lonely and didn't know what to do to fix that. My mother was the love of his life and he felt as though he couldn't live without her." With his free hand, he wiped his eyes with his sleeve then released Sakura from his grasp.

She examined him carefully, his eyes were a bit puffy, but they glistened with the added moisture of his tears. The longer strands of his bangs were damp, still clinging to his face. But he had the notable look of relief in his expression. She swept his bangs back, pushing them away from his face. The sensation tickled, but gave him comfort.

Again, they were sharing such an intimate moment. Sakura couldn't believe how much Sasori had opened up to her.

"Thank you for telling me." Sakura said with sincerity.

Raising his hand to her face, he caressed her cheek, brushing his thumb gently against her soft skin. "I've wanted to tell you for a while. I've just never had the courage to say anything." He sighed as she moved herself towards him, her head tucked just under his chin.

"You can tell me anything whenever you like. I'm always willing to listen." Sakura had never lost anyone, but she knew that everyone deserved a shoulder to cry on.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan. I'll make sure that you're one of the first people I go to," he vowed.

Sakura grinned, her happiness transparent. "And tell me any stories about your family too. I'd love to hear them."

"I will." His eyes widened as she moved from under his chin and kissed his forehead tenderly. "Sakura-chan?"

"I never want you to feel lonely again, Sasori-kun. We're all here for you."

"I know that now," he replied.

"Oh? So it's finally gotten through that mess of red hair?" she teased, lightening the mood.

There it was. One of the things he loved most about her. She was so skilled with a transition and transforming a sad conversation to something bright. Just a single thing from the list of many others on why he loved her.

Sasori pinched her nose and playfully shook her head. "Don't start that. I just opened up to you and this is what I get? A mean, little girl making fun of me?"

"I'm not little! And don't start acting like I torment you relentlessly. You're the one always being mean," she countered.

"It's called flirting," he stated.

"You call that flirting?! What woman would even fall for that!"

"What are you going on about? I'm a ladies' man, you just haven't realized it. Older women love me," he joked. Well, it wasn't technically a lie.

Sakura couldn't stop herself from laughing. Sasori joined her, laughing openly. Sakura had never heard him sound like that before. A soft chuckle was something she would commonly hear from him if he found something amusing, but this was incomparable. It was full, cheerful - like a child's. It was something that caused her heart to flutter in her chest like a tiny bird's wings.

She loved it.

"Sakura-chan."

"Hm?" Their eyes met once again, but he appeared serious.

"I mean what I said earlier. That I'll never forget any moment we've had together and I'll always do my best to protect you," he resounded.

"Then I'll do the same." she announced.

Sasori clicked his tongue, unimpressed. "Tch, you protect me? It's my job to protect you."

"Weren't you the one to say not to adhere to gender stereotypes?" she argued.

Sasori was surprised. "H-how do you even remember that?"

"My memory's really good, you know!"

He turned his back to her, laying on his side. "Scary... Do you naturally hold grudges? I'd hate to get on your bad side." His tone was light.

Sakura jokingly patted her hands on his back. "Hey, what are you doing? Come back over here and sleep with me!"

Whoops.

"Sleep with you?" Sasori repeated, still.

"I didn't mean it like that," Sakura proclaimed, blushing.

Sasori turned back over. "I'm just messing around with you." Not really. "Anything you want to talk about?"

Stroking her chin, Sakura stared at the glow-in-the-dark stars stuck to her ceiling. "What do you plan on doing after graduation, Sasori-kun?"

"Don't know. I'd like to do art, but that's more of a hobby. Maybe I'll pick up where my dad left off and become a boring businessman," Sasori remarked, his voice dull and sleepy. "What about you?"

"I want to become a pediatrician."

"Not with your grades," he responded.

She groaned, rolling away from him and onto her stomach. "I'll try harder after the break!"

"I can give you some tips on how to study too."

"That would help." she giggled.

They spoke throughout the rest of the night only to slowly fall asleep before the incandescent light of dawn rose through the barrage of houses. Sasori had intended to place her in her bed before going to sleep, but his brain was shutting down before he could raise his own body from the futon. Closing his eyes, he brought her closer. He probably wouldn't have another chance like this for a while and he wanted to make it something memorable. Holding her in his arms was just enough to make him content. Slowly, he fell asleep, his head resting against hers.

To him, they were the perfect pair. He could talk with her for hours on end - idle conversations, sensitive subjects, playful banter - it didn't matter. For once, he felt fairly confident that she had the same feelings as he did.

And if she wasn't, he would still protect her. No matter the circumstances.

xxx

It's boiling down guys. Who you think she's going to pick? Huehue; I know :3 Votes and Comments appreciated it. <3

xTsu