The brisk air of the morning caused many of the inhabitants of Konoha to bundle up. Weather reports called in flurries, but the cloudless sky put doubt in their meteorologist's 'knowledge'. Sasori bundled up with a wool jacket and matching hat. His stomach turned over on itself as he headed out the door toward his destination.

Yesterday's kiss didn't have as much of an impact with Sakura as he hoped it would and it didn't feel right as his thoughts festered on it. Could she have acted impulsively again or was she truly falling for him? She hadn't bothered bringing it up afterwards, so it worried him.

Even now, he hadn't received a text or call from her to discuss it.

Jumping on the train, he cycled through all of the songs on his mp3, searching for the song they danced to. He was ecstatic during the kiss - a dream come true, really. Sakura... well, he didn't know how she felt. Regardless, he needed to inform the others of yesterday's events.

As the train's announcer named the stop, Sasori stuffed his music player in his jacket's pocket. He was nervous, unsure of how the others would take his news. Sasori was never partial to confrontation, but he would expect the same from the others if they shared an intimate moment with Sakura.

The cold whipped against his face as he exited the train station, on route to Itachi's home. With his parents visiting Sasuke and Shisui at work, it was the most private choice and the others could gather quickly. Deidara had pressed him for information, but he stood firm to meet face-to-face.

He climbed the steps, his stomach in knots and his palms sweaty, he entered the home to find the others lounging around the living room.

"About time you got here," Hidan grumbled.

Sasori pulled off his sneakers. "Sorry, train was delayed due to a switch of engineers."

"What did you want to speak with us about, Sasori?" Itachi asked, curious.

The redhead hesitated as he froze in place, five pairs of eyes set on him."I... It's about Sakura," he started quietly.

"What's wrong?" Deidara leaned forward from his seat on the couch. The uneasy look in his friend's eyes was a clear sign that something was bothering him.

Grabbing hold of his courage, he let the words fall from his mouth in a single breath, "Yesterday while cleaning the school, Sakura and I danced to some music and she kissed me." He searched their faces frantically for some sort of emotion.

The others fell eerily silent. Their bodies still like mannequins in a clothing store. Apparently, the news that Sasori delivered hadn't been what they were expecting. Afterall, who would ever think that cleaning classrooms was romantic? That's right, no-one.

"She kissed you?" Itachi strung the sentence together with a breathy tone. Sasori's words hit him like a sack of bricks to the chest.

Sasori shifted awkwardly. "Well, we kissed each other." The boys recoiled back as if they were just struck with a bat. "Sorry."

"Why didn't you tell us this as soon as it happened? This is quite important considering it affects us just as much as it does you," Itachi scolded.

"I know that. It's just that after we kissed, she immediately backed away and acted strangely. I waited for a text or call from her to discuss it, but she never did," Sasori replied glumly.

Kakuzu joined the conversation, "Did she express how she felt about you at any moment? Any sort of confession?"

"No, she didn't. But she did say that I was the first person to come to her mind that morning."

Deidara stared down at his hands threaded together in his lap. Thoughts of his night with Sakura at Zetsu's house then their moment in her bedroom came forth from his subconscious. Should he tell the others? He hadn't even bothered considering since it was only his business, but hearing Sasori divulge to their shared kiss, he decided it was only fair to do the same.

"Sakura-chan and I kissed too," he announced, raising his head.

"H-how? When?! Why! Tell us!" Hidan sputtered, furious.

Now, their attention was focused on the blonde junior. "After Zetsu's party. She was drunk and I brought her home-"

"Wait, she was drunk? You weren't watching her?" Kisame questioned.

Deidara raised a hand to his heart. "Hey, I had my hands tied. Ino pulled her away from me to talk and I waited and waited until I decided to look for her. Once I found her, she was drunk and acting really clingy. I didn't want her to get hurt or worse, so I took her home."

"Where did the kiss come in?" Kakuzu wasn't very happy about Deidara's absentmindedness. If he had been with Sakura to Zetsu's party, he wouldn't have let her leave his sight.

"Oh, right. I placed her on her bed, but she didn't want me to leave. I thought she was joking when she told me to have sex with her, but she pulled me closer to her and kissed me," he answered with a shrug.

All of the boys around him held their mouths open agape. Did he just say? Did she? Did they?!

"What the flying fuck, Deidara? You're acting like the kiss was more important than the fact she wanted you to fuck her?! The hell is wrong with you?" Hidan shouted.

Deidara frowned, "I didn't think it was important because I didn't have sex with her."

"Sure, Deidara, it's not important," Itachi said dryly, "Especially since she said that she wanted to have sex with you. No, not at all."

"Hey, I didn't-"

"How do we know that you didn't fuck her, huh? This happened, what, a week ago? You could have easily taken advantage of her and done what you wanted! You're a fucking piece of shit! I knew it was a bad idea that she chose you!" Hidan yelled, his fists clenched and heat rising to his face.

Kakuzu rested his hand on Hidan's shoulder. "Calm down."

"Fuck you, man. I made it clear to her that I wasn't doing it. I'm not that kind of guy and you should fucking know that," Deidara responded defensively. "We kissed, did a few other things and that's it. I would never hurt her like that."

"Other things? What does that mean?" Kisame frowned.

"We made out a bit and I sat on top of her through the blankets... She slipped her dress down, exposing her bra and I... touched her," he answered quietly.

Hidan shook his head in disbelief. "Fucking knew it. I fucking knew it. You're fucking sick, dude."

"And you're any better than me? So my hands physically touch her, but it's not wrong of any of you to fantasize about the same situation?" Deidara argued, his eyes darting around the room.

"Fantasies and reality differ for a reason. Besides, her actions were impaired and you proceeded to touch her and kiss her," Itachi countered stoically.

The blonde cursed under his breath, swiping his palm down his face in an exasperated expression. "I'm only as perfect as the rest of you, hm. I made a mistake, but I didn't act on myself. At the time, I had only just started realizing how wrong it was." He glared at Itachi. "Do you really think that you could have done better?"

"Yes, simply because I can control myself," Itachi replied.

"Itachi's right. You could have easily left her to fall asleep, but you pushed it," Kisame agreed.

Deidara looked to Sasori for some reassurance for his actions, but even his close friend seemed uncertain. He couldn't believe it. "This is fucking hilarious. You're calling me out like I'm the only one that's ever done something like this. Hidan ogling her body, staring at her ass. I can spot every time Kisame looks at her chest. And Itachi, remember the time your hands just happened to land on both of her boobs. A bunch of hypocritical shitheads that are trying to make me look like the bad guy."

"Don't attempt to push it back on us, Deidara. You're the one at fault."

"For what?! I refused, explained my reasoning, then comforted her. How have I done anything wrong? Personally, it just sounds to me like you're all just angry over something so small and insignificant. I didn't have sex with her and I realized the severity of the issue quickly. You're treating me like some creep when I've done nothing wrong!" Deidara shouted.

"Then why hide it? Obviously, you were ashamed of your actions," Itachi responded.

Deidara used all of his willpower to refrain from slugging the president of the Student Council. "How many times do I have to repeat myself? I just didn't think I needed to tell you. Only until Sasori confessed to his kiss with Sakura did I realize I needed to do the same! We never discussed this - there were no fine details! Why crucify me when the only thing we agreed on was to keep our mouths shut?!"

Kisame's hands clasped together tightly. "It may not seem like a big deal to you, but did you ever stop to think how Sakura felt about the night you spent together?" he asked.

Deidara's brain was frazzled from the anger clouding his mind and jumbling his thoughts. He didn't have the desire to care enough for any more arguing. "Of course I did. Unlike the rest of you, Sakura and I share a deep, emotional bond. She trusted me and that's all that matters," he stated solemnly. He grabbed his phone on the coffee table and stuffed it in his pants' pocket. Crossing to the front door, he pulled on his coat.

"Deidara, wait," Sasori called.

The blonde was fuming. "I'm so done with this psychological bullshit. Manipulating her feelings? I should've known it was fucking messed up, but I was stupid. Not anymore." Pulling on his gloves in a hasty fashion, he glared at the rest of them. "I love Sakura no matter what any of you say." He slammed the door shut, a pile of snow slipping off the tiled roof from the sheer force.

The boys inside the house allowed everything to fully sink in. The walls surrounding their perfect 'plan' were finally caving in. How did they ever expect to have Sakura choose one of them and continue to stay friends? Was it all some sort of naive sentiment that one of them would date Sakura while the others just dropped their shattered hearts to the floor and continued to be happy? They all knew that Deidara had done nothing wrong, but their hurt feelings and jealousy clouded their right judgement.

"I'm... I'm going home," Sasori exclaimed nervously. He grabbed his things and retreated outside.

The others agreed, leaving Itachi alone in his quiet, empty home. It was only until the last to leave closed the door did he bury his face in his hands. His stomach was wrenching like he had just taken a beating from a cinder block. He felt betrayed by her. It was worse thinking of all the intimate moments they had shared. Was he not good enough? What was he missing?

Never in his mind did he think that this could end as terribly as it had. Of course, he knew the rest would be devastated over her decision, but he never thought past the initial decision. If she were to choose him, he would just kiss her and hold her. He hadn't let the thought of his friends hating him cross his mind.

Shisui entered the house, his hair speckled with fresh snow. Examining his cousin's expression, he voiced his concerns, "Hey, you okay? You look like crap."

Lowering his hands, he pushed himself off the couch. "Perfectly fine. I'm going to bed. Good night, Shisui." Slowly, he lumbered into the hallway leading to his room.

Shisui raised his brows. "Good night? Are you sure you don't need to talk?"

"Positive. Thanks, Shisui." Shisui heard the quiet shuffle of his door closing and the audible click of his deadbolt.

...

It was cold at the park, the snow continued to fall, but there were a few children throwing snowballs at each other. The group sat at the pavilion, their spaces between each other much larger than they should be. Sakura held a pamphlet in her gloved fist and finally presented her idea.

"Here it is!" She showed off the pamphlet - a large, snow-crested mountain as its cover photo. The words 'Iron Country Cabins' printed at the top center.

"Iron Country? Sakura-chan, that's so expensive, do you really think it's possible to pay for a trip like that with seven people?" Kakuzu asked.

"Ah, well, you see. I've been saving up my allowance for a while now and-"

"You're kidding. You shouldn't spend your savings on some winter trip," Kisame broke in.

Sakura shook her head. "No! Here, let me explain, my dad goes on business trips to Iron Country all the time, so he often passes by these little cabins on his way there. Every now and again, he'll stop in and the owner will give him some coupons for a stay. They expire quickly, but he just got some more. He never uses them because of work, but my mom said I can! Since my dad's going to be gone for the weekend, I thought it would be a great, early-Christmas idea for us to go together! What do you think?"

The boys exchanged uneasy glances around the picnic table. Considering last night's confrontation, it didn't seem like a good decision to spend time together in close quarters - especially with the rising turmoil.

Noticing their hesitation, Sakura spoke up again, "Listen, I'll be paying for everything since these coupons take a huge chunk out of the bill. It's a freebie and we'll have so much fun!" She clasped her hands together. "Please, I'd really love to go sledding or smores like the Americans make!"

"Don't they make those at bonfires during summer and not a fireplace in winter?" Deidara asked.

She frowned, thinking over the information she had read on the internet last night. "They make them year-round, don't they? On the stove or something too?! And not every place gets hot there either!" she spouted defensively.

"It's too kind of you to pay for the entire trip, Sakura-chan. I would feel horrible knowing that you emptied your wallet just for a night's stay at an expensive cabin," Sasori argued.

Sakura shook her head again. "It's fine! Like I said, it's an early-Christmas thing!" She bit her lip as they continued to appear despondent. "I really need an answer. The taxi company that drives out there only has lines open until five o'clock. If I don't call back by then, we'll have no ride there!"

Deidara crossed his arms over his chest. For obvious reasons, he was still pissed at the others, so he decided to push their buttons a little. "For you, Sakura-chan, I'll definitely go. We can even buy the supplies we need for s'mores together." He looked to the others, awaiting their responses.

The first to respond was, of course, Hidan. "I'm in! I've always wanted to spend the night with you, Cherry-chan!"

His comment made Sakura blush. "Hidan-kun! Don't say things like that."

"If it's free, it's for me. I'll go too," Kakuzu remarked. "Don't forget your sleeping bags and heavy blankets either. I heard they add extra to the bill if you use their thermostat too much."

Sasori pulled his knitted cap down below his ears, protecting them from the winter air. "I'll join too." Perhaps he could discuss the kiss they shared as well.

"I've never had a smore before, so it wouldn't hurt to go too," Kisame said shyly.

Sakura peered over to their president, the young man clearly rolling the idea around in his head. It wasn't good. In his gut, he held a bad feeling about the trip, but if it made her happy, how could he oppose? "I suppose it'll be fun. We'll meet you at the station."

She jumped excitedly around the pavilion. It had been forever since she'd been on a vacation outside of Konoha. Now, with everyone on board, she couldn't wait to go.

"We're going to have so much fun! Don't forget to pack your warmest clothes because we'll be outside most of the day!" she squealed. Sakura hurried out, trudging through the snow in her winter boots and ran to the closest pay phone to call the taxi company.

"Remember, this is a day for Sakura, not our-" Itachi was interrupted as Deidara left the pavillion.

"We're not stupid, Itachi. We get it - be nice, don't start fights, and blah, blah, blah - stop acting like you're so emotionally-invested in her. Everyone knows what to do and we don't always need to hear a stupid speech." He shoved his bare hands into the pockets of his wool coat. "Now, I'm going to pack my things and tell my parents what I'm doing tomorrow. I'll see you guys later."

The others dissipated, leaving Itachi alone again. A cold, gust of wind whirled through the area, filtering into the pavilion and nipping at his bare face. He brought his scarf just over his nose. If he didn't want to get sick, he had to leave soon. Reaching the south-side of the park, Sakura called out behind him, running to meet him.

"I just called them, senpai. We're booked for seven!" she announced proudly. She removed her phone and began texting the others. "I've got to tell them before I forget."

As soon as she was finished sending out the information, she shoved her phone in the inside pocket of her coat and zipped it to her chin. They walked together, huddled shoulder-to-shoulder to retain their body heat. Itachi looked at her. He hadn't noticed before, but she was taller than she was at the beginning of the year. With the crown of her head originally below his shoulder, she now could fit perfectly under his chin.

"Senpai, are you and the rest of the guys fighting?" she asked, surprising him.

Itachi cleared his throat. "Why would you say that?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "All of you were so quiet, it just caught me off-guard." She brushed their hesitation off with the fact that she would be paying for the trip.

He looked at her, his stomach churning. He didn't want to burden her with the truth, it wasn't fair for her to feel pressured. Instead, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer.

"Sakura-chan, you look pretty in pastel colors," he said, distracting her from her bothering thoughts.

Sakura's cheeks burned. "Where did this come from all of a sudden?!" He hadn't complimented her like that since the Cultural Festival! Even now, it gave her butterflies.

He shrugged his shoulders. "It's just that your coat looks very nice." He could feel her shiver underneath his arm. "Are you cold?"

"Just a little. The coat that I'm bringing with me for tomorrow's trip is being washed, so I wore this." The fabric of the coat she was wearing was on the thinner side, but she opted to wear two, long-sleeved shirts underneath.

"Then we better hurry. I would feel terrible if you caught a cold before our trip," Itachi said.

She agreed and the two began a conversation of the finer details of the trip. He loved watching her eyes shine and her mouth curve into a smile as she spoke excitedly about their trip. It made the awful, qualm sensation in his stomach dissolve away. She always helped him feel better. Maybe, they wouldn't have a problem at the cabin. Maybe... they could act as though their heated conversation had never happened!

Walking her to her door, he lingered on her steps. With her hand resting on the handle, she turned to him questioningly. "Senpai? You okay?" she asked, his thoughts still clouded with tomorrow's plans and his hope for a nice day.

"Oh, it's nothing. Well, actually, Sakura-chan." His voice trailed off, his gaze averted.

She waited patiently.

What if something horrible happens at the cabin? In his heart, he wanted to believe that the others wouldn't cause such a stir or mishandle the situation, but this was reality - not fiction. Deidara was fearless, he could care less about the others now due to their critical opinions over his night with Sakura. Was it possible that he may break the rules of their bet? Would he really act on his words of the night before?

"Senpai?" she resounded.

"Sorry, Sakura-chan, I'm just thinking," he apologized.

Sakura tilted her head, curious. "What is it that you're thinking about?"

Ah, always doing the cutest things. Retreating off of her front steps, he smiled faintly. "Just about all of things I need to pack. I'll see you tomorrow, Sakura-chan." They exchanged a 'good-bye' and Sakura entered her home, closing the door behind her.

...

It seemed that their problems had dissipated after another night's rest. They held decent conversations on their trip to the cabins, so this eased Itachi's nerves. With the faded, sun-bleached sign appearing in their sight, they all couldn't wait to leave the smelly interior of the cab.

"I heard there's going to be some snow today, so have a great time!" the driver exclaimed.

Sakura paid for his services and they scrambled for their luggage in the trunk. The cabins had recently closed for remodeling, so it was nice to be one of the most recent groups to enjoy the new renovations. Entering their rented cabin, they basked in the beauty of the modern designs, a massive fireplace stealing center-stage.

Sakura reached it, examining the workmanship. "This'll be great for s'mores!"

"How the hell does your dad get coupons to this place?! Seems like he may have dirt on the owner or something," Hidan wondered, setting his backpack on one of the queen-sized beds.

She laughed, "I wouldn't doubt it. He's always finding new ways to outsmart his competitors."

"Regardless, we're very grateful to you for doing this. Why don't you let us pay for the ski passes?" Itachi suggested.

Sakura shook her head firmly. "Nope, this is all my treat. I've wanted to thank you all in some way for giving me the opportunity to join the Student Council, so this is my gift!"

"There's no need to thank us. We needed a girl anyway," Kisame reminded.

"But you could have chosen any girl from the school! That's my point, you gave me the opportunity and that's why I'm doing this for you," she responded.

"Instead of exchanging sappy talk, why don't we go skiing? Afterwards, we can settle back down and have something to eat," Deidara noted, hitching his arm through hers.

"Sounds great!" Sakura replied. The pair happily walked together, chattering on about the amazing slopes.

At the ski station, a man stood inside. He greeted them warmly and waited patiently as they took the appropriate gear that suited their needs. As soon as everyone was one-hundred percent positive, Sakura ventured to the counter and fumbled with her wallet. Her gloved hands made it difficult to pull out the paper notes. She tugged at the stubborn zipper, only to have her entire wallet slipping out of her grasp and falling to the floor, coins rolled along, escaping their open compartment. Bending down, she hurriedly nabbed them before they passed underneath one of the large shelves. Kakuzu joined her, picking up the bills and helped her to her feet.

"Thanks." She smiled impishly. "How funny. The cheapskate of the group helping to pick up my money," she mused.

Kakuzu replied with a snort, handing her the money she needed for the passes while stuffing the rest into your wallet. For a moment, the contact of his bare, freezing hands caused her surprise. "Geez, Kuzu-kun! Your hands are so cold."

With the money in his hands, the man at the counter smiled and replied, "As the saying goes: 'Cold hands, warm heart'."

Sakura's cheeks flushed, grabbing at his large hand. The others watched the pair with great intensity. Sasori, his heart jumping into his throat, felt immensely upset as she had done the same to him only days before. She was choosing to hold his hand on her own accord. What would cause her to do that? Why would she not bother to look at him when they shared such an intimate moment?

"Why are you not wearing gloves?" she asked quietly, her thumb grazing his knuckles.

Kakuzu shrugged, "The cold doesn't really bother me. I have thick skin."

"But your hands are so icy," she remarked.

Kakuzu opened his mouth to speak, hesitating as he knew the others were staring daggers at the undivided attention he was receiving. In an instant, he immediately had the impulse of not caring. He barely received half as much attention from Sakura compared to the others. Having Sakura concerned for him made him feel important too. The blush on her cheeks meant something, didn't it? She wasn't just doing it to be nice, the way her hand moved around his... it was different compared to any other time.

"I wouldn't mind if you held my hand, Sakura-chan," he stated. "If you want to, that is."

"No, I'm fine with it. As long as my gloves are keeping you warm." She picked up her skis with her free arm and Kakuzu did the same. "Let's go ski!"

The others didn't feel as driven as they did earlier. How dare Kakuzu do such a thing right in front of them? What a horrible, selfish thing to do to not think about their feelings! As they exited the gear station, they moved onward to the ski lift. They had fastened their helmets and eye gear as the snow fell down in large flakes. Once they were off, they attached their binders on their skis and pushed down the slope, Sakura leading.

"What the hell was that back there, Kakuzu? Why the fuck would you do that?" Hidan said abrasively.

Kakuzu didn't reply, angering his friend. "Doing that in front of everyone. It's like you were confessing to her right there," Hidan added.

"There was no definition to a confession, Hidan. I didn't admit that I liked her, I simply told her that I was fine if she held my hand. If the rest of you can't tell the difference then it's on you," Kakuzu responded flatly. Grabbing his poles, he propelled himself down the slope.

Great, now the taut string was close to snapping once more. Any more weight and another confrontation would take place.

It would probably be worse than the last.

...

They were cold. Even through their thickest coats, the winter air seeped into their bones. They retired their skis for the day and hurried to their cabin to enjoy a quick snack. Inside, Kisame walked to the fireplace and threw a flickering match over the stack of logs in the hearth. Slowly, the small flame grew in size, the warmth radiating through the room. Sakura hurriedly slipped off her mittens and pushed her hands as close to the fire as she could without burning herself.

"Ah, this is so nice," she said with a content sigh. She closed her eyes, switching to the backs of her hands, routinely changing the positions.

Kisame glanced at her and noticed how unnaturally red her face was. Even if she was blushing, it was simply too intense. "Sakura-chan, do you mind?"

"Huh?" She turned to him, as he examined her face.

"Oh, wow, you've got some pretty bad wind burn." He touched the reddened skin of her nose, but she didn't seem bothered by it.

"What? I don't have wind burn. My face doesn't even hurt," she argued, pressing her fingers to her face, feeling for any sensitivity or pain.

"Sakura-chan, you're cheeks and nose are red like a lobster," Deidara commented.

She covered her hands over her face. "No way! It does not."

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan, it's cute," Deidara teased. "You look like you're blushing all the time now!"

She stuck her tongue at him and he returned with a similar gesture. Kisame rummaged through his bag, removing a small, hotel-sized bottle of lotion. "Here, Sakura-chan, it's not much, but it'll help moisturize your skin."

"Oh, thanks, Kisame-kun. Can you dab it? I don't like how greasy lotion feels on my hands," she asked sweetly.

"Y-you want me to put it on you?" She had never asked him - not even once - to do such a thing for her. He eyed the group, but the only one that wasn't busy setting up for their late-afternoon snack was Deidara. The blonde turned his back, rummaging for his phone in his pack.

Kisame took his chance. No, he didn't want the others to be mad at him, but he also wasn't going to waste his precious moment with her. Placing some of the lotion onto the palm of his hand, he took two fingers and delicately brushed it onto her face.

She closed her eyes. "Wow, that smells good."

"It's actually my mom's. When I used to go skiing, she'd bring along some of these tiny bottles in case someone needed it. It helps a lot," he admitted, He dotted her cheeks a few times then rubbed the lotion into her skin as gently as he could.

"Please, tell me if I'm hurting you," he said.

She stifled a giggle. "No, it doesn't hurt, Kisame-kun. You've got to stop being afraid of touching me." Her eyes shot open, embarrassed at her own words.

The others clearly weren't deaf. This day was already swirling down the shit hole. With their eyes settling in their direction, Sakura averted her gaze to her wrenched hands. An awkward silence substituted the once cheery mood they harbored at the beginning of their trip. It was foolish to expect things to go back to normal after their quarrel.

"I should go get some drinks from the station," Sakura said, briskly walking to the coat rack.

"I'll come too." Kisame said.

They passed Hidan, but he wasn't willing to take things so easily. "Wasn't that enough for you?" he stated, his voice stretched thin.

Sakura wavered, her hand barely wrapping around the doorknob. She had a sick feeling in her stomach.

"Hey, I have an idea. Let's make this a fucking game. We'll see how much attention we get, while rubbing it in the others' fucking faces then see who lashes out first! Right? Because that's really how I see the rest of this day panning out!" he snapped angrily.

Kakuzu stepped towards him. "Calm down, Hidan." He tried resting his hand on his shoulder, but Hidan slapped it away.

"Don't fucking try and act so mature, Kakuzu. You're the first one that turned this whole day to shit! Of course, Deidara always touching her didn't help."

Sakura feigned a smile. "Why don't I go get the drinks and we can calm down a bit. I'm sure that all we need is some warm-"

"No, why don't you stay? I'm sure the rest of us would love to admit how much we fucking like you," he spat.

The others fell into a frenzy. What an idiot! How could he say such a thing when they clearly made a promise not to?! They hushed him, only for their attempts to end with failure.

"Cherry-chan may be surprised, yeah, but she's not an idiot. A blind fucker could have seen how desperate we were for her to notice us - even back to Golden Week. I mean, this shit could be spotted from space, so it surely couldn't have been just hiding under her nose all along," he surmised, his gaze, along with the others, drifting to the pink-haired girl standing at the door.

She stared wide-eyed and shocked. She knew something was going on between them, but she hadn't realized that their fight was over her. It was embarrassing. Now, they were all staring, waiting for a response, but her brain just couldn't form a coherent sentence. Her ears were burning and her heart was pounding. She felt dizzy and confused.

"Well?" he pressed.

"I-I'm sorry," she sputtered.

"Leave her alone, Hidan. It's obvious that it's making her uncomfortable," Itachi said.

Deidara raised a brow. "Why are you acting like that now, Itachi? Isn't this something that you've been wanting to know since the Cultural Festival?"

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"It's come to this, hm? Which one of us do you like? Which one would you want to date?" Deidara interrogated, the question they have long wondered was now hanging in the air.

This was what they were waiting for. All of those days, fantasizing and daydreaming over which of them she'd choose. It may not have been the best way that they wanted to know, but it certainly had each one waiting impatiently for her answer.

Sakura's body was shaking. She couldn't have dreamed this day would come. It was only a month since she had realized that they had feelings for her, now, they were all waiting for an answer.

"I-I don't know. I need more time to think about things," she replied quietly, her voice quivering.

This struck a nerve with the redhead across the room. "More time? What are you going to do? Spend it on each boy like we're some free toy to play around with?!" He lowered his gaze to the floor, anger blossoming over his face in the form of a red blush on his cheeks.

"Sasori-kun, that's not what I meant. I..." she trailed off. The kiss in the classroom. "I don't know what to do."

"Utakata asked you to be his girlfriend and you answered him without a doubt. How hard could it be with the person you really share a connection with," Deidara remarked.

"Deidara, stop pushing it. She doesn't want to talk about it," Itachi resounded firmly.

Hidan stepped in again. "No, you stop it. Stop pretending to be some white knight! If we're going to solve this, we're doing it fucking now."

"There are things that just can't wait and this is one of them," Kakuzu agreed, his voice low.

Sakura's hands clutched her stomach. The feeling of bile rising in her throat made her clench her teeth shut. She wanted to throw up, but she couldn't - something was holding her back. "Please, don't do this to me," she mumbled.

"We've been suffering with these emotions for a long time, Sakura-chan. Try to understand it from our perspective... we just want to know," Kisame said gently.

Was she really causing them to suffer? Would telling them who she liked ease their minds? Her eyes rested on the Uchiha near the closest bed. He may have said those things for Sakura's sake, but she could read his feelings well. He was curious, desperate even, for her answer. Why wouldn't he be? They all wanted to know who she would choose.

"Sakura-chan," Sasori started, "what did that day even mean? Was it just some sort of test? Did I fail you?" The hurt etched in his expression caused her to fight back the tears forming in her eyes. This wasn't what she wanted.

"Sasori-kun, that's not it. It's just..." Her mouth was open ajar as she just couldn't finish her explanation. It felt as though someone was strangling her. How was this hurting so much?

"Sakura-chan," Itachi said, gaining her attention.

He didn't speak for a long while. His arms crossed over his chest, hiding the heaviness of his breathing. He was anxious and afraid.

"Please, tell us," he finished, his voice filled with an odd calmness.

"I don't know!" she shouted out, her arms completely wrapped around her stomach. She bowed her head, tears escaping from her eyes. "It's not like I can do it so quickly!"

"How can you say that?! What could possibly be holding you back from choosing one of us?!" Hidan responded.

"I don't want the rest of you to hate me!" she cried.

Hidan recoiled back in sheer surprise. The others responded in the same way. Sakura slowly dropped to her knees and covered her eyes with two balled-up fists, her shoulders shaking as she tried to muffle her own sobs.

"You're my only friends. I can't just start dating one of you without feeling scared that the rest of you won't want to be around me anymore. It was easy with Utakata because it wasn't real and you all knew that! Yes, I know it hurt all of you, but it started and ended so quickly that it didn't matter much. I don't want to start something with one of you and ruin everything we have together as friends. I don't want you to hate me because of who I like!"

"We could never hate you, Cherry-chan," Hidan replied, regretting how harsh he was.

"Hidan's right. No matter which of us you love, it won't change our friendship," Itachi reassured.

Sakura knew better. "That isn't true! Look at all of you now, do you really think that things would just go back to normal and we'd all be comfortable sitting in on a meeting and continue to joke around like we've done? That's such a stupid lie! How dare any of you say something like that to try and make me feel better."

She brought her hands to her head, her fingers threading through her hair. "I can't just say who I like without hurting the rest of you. I'd rather just not bother and keep my feelings out of this."

Itachi knealt down and the others quickly followed his actions. "Sakura-chan, your feelings are important. We want you to be happy and choose the person you like. We would never drop you from our lives just because of your decision." He leaned his back against the door. "I won't lie to you, I would feel terrible, but I would never ruin our friendship over that. It started as friends, so it doesn't matter if we stay as friends."

A hand rested on top of Sakura's head, looking up, Hidan smiled down at her. "We don't want to pressure you with shit like this! If it's not me, then I'll still be here for you!"

"Please, don't cry anymore, Sakura-chan! You broke my heart!" Deidara blubbered.

Kakuzu nodded, "Agreed. I never want to push you like that again."

"I'm sorry too," Sasori said softly.

Kisame wiped a tear from her face with the back of his hand. "Please, just do what makes you happy. I'll always be your friend, no matter what."

Her heart was still heavy, but with their kind words, they made her feel better. "Thank you so much. You don't know how much this means to me." Closing her eyes, she smiled.

"So...?" Hidan raised his brows inquisitively, inching towards her.

"Wh-what?" Sakura stuttered.

"Who is the lucky guy, Cherry-chan?" Hidan asked.

Sakura waved her hands defensively. "It's only been a month since I've figured it all out! I still need some time to sort my feelings!" she exclaimed.

"Man, a month, really? I never expected you to be this slow, Sakura-chan," Kakuzu admitted.

Sakura released an exasperated sigh from her lungs. "Give me a break! It's not like I was expecting all of this my first year of high school!"

"Any other girl would have realized almost immediately. You have no excuse," Deidara teased.

"Shut your mouth! I wasn't busy looking for any of this then!" she argued.

"Oh, so what are you looking for now, Cherry-chan?" Hidan smiled mischievously.

Sakura squirmed around. "Stop it! You're doing this on purpose!" How evil were they?

"We have time to torture her later, guys. Sakura-chan, would you like to make the s'mores?" Itachi suggested, showing off the large bag of gigantic marshmallows.

Sakura leaps up. Her excitement growing at an incredible rate as she could already taste the delicious treat enveloping her taste buds. "Yes! Yes! Let's make the s'mores!"

...

After eating, Sakura rested on the floor, her eyes locked to the ceiling. All of the skiing, not to mention the emotional turmoil, exhausted her. She folded her hands onto her stomach. Closing her eyes, she reminisced on the past year with the Student Council.

There were no doubts anymore. She could tell by their faces that they were being completely sincere. Yes, it would be difficult adjusting, but she now knew that they would be alongside her, conquering every obstacle that came their way.

"Hey, I'm sleeping with Cherry-chan tonight!" Hidan called out.

"Like hell you are! I'm sharing a bed with her! Your little pervy hands are something no-one can trust!" Deidara argued.

"Can't we say the same of yours?" Itachi countered with a smirk.

Sasori raised a brow. "And you're just as innocent?"

"That was merely an accident! You can't hold that over my head forever," Itachi said, trying to reason with them.

"The Groper," Deidara whispered.

The others quickly began chanting Itachi's dreadful nickname, pushing him into a corner, failing miserably with an explanation as to why his hands coincidentally landed on both of Sakura's breasts.

Sakura burst out laughing. "Yeah, I'm with them on that, senpai. There's no way that both of your hands just magically landed on my chest."

"It was an accident! I would never do something like that," Itachi resounded, flustered.

"Still though. Why don't we all just camp out on the floor. It's nice near the fire and our body heat will keep us extra warm," Sakura said.

Kakuzu nodded. "The less we use of the heater, the better."

"You're not just agreeing because you want to sleep beside Sakura-chan, right?" Sasori wondered.

Kakuzu crossed his arms. "It's not exactly a lie if I happened to say 'no'. It's expensive using the thermostat!"

"So, in your case, you're actually saying 'yes'?" Kisame surmised.

Kakuzu didn't reply and the others snickered around him. Sakura listened as they spoke of their ideas for the rest of their winter break. She had an idea of who she liked, but at this moment, she couldn't be happier spending time with them as friends. She knew that there may be more problems, but with all of this out in the open, at least they had one less thing to worry about.

xxx

Wow, that was harsh! Aha, whatcha think? Comments are appreciated. Oh and votes. <3 Even if you don't, I hope all are enjoying reading the story. 6 more chapters.

xTsu