"Itachi, can you take out the trash, please? We're in a hurry." Mikoto asked, fastening on her earrings.

Itachi grunted, half-asleep, tying the trash bag with two knots and slipped on a pair of shoes. The winter weather was growing worse, a snowstorm was supposed to travel through. He threw the bag into the metal trashcan beside his house and hurried back inside. Before he could go back to bed, his mother stopped him again.

"Oh, can you do me another favor and run down the street to the grocery store? We should stock up on some non-perishables just in case the power goes off."

He yawned, "Sure."

Bundling in her winter coat and scarf, Mikoto met with Fugaku at the door and grabbed her purse. "We'll be back Sunday night," she called. "If you need money just use the emergency card we have in my top drawer."

"I will."

"No drinking, Itachi. I've marked everything in the cabinet," Mikoto said, stern.

"Okay, okay just go. Say hi to Sasuke for me." he replied.

They waved goodbye and Itachi begrudgingly went to get dressed. His parents had woken up so early that he just wanted to crawl in bed again, but his body was just too awake now. Pulling on some jeans and a thick sweater, he looked at the clock.

8:20...

Maybe Sakura was awake too so they could go together. He could text her, but he wouldn't want to wake her. Instead, he'll just head over there and knock. Mebuki would answer if Sakura was still asleep.

The looming grey clouds overhead certainly gave the day a gloomy start. City workers were scraping snow off the walkways and sprinkling salt on the streets. Nobody wanted to be out in this weather.

While walking, Itachi wondered how he could improve his chances with Sakura. For Deidara and Sasori, all he really needed to do was understand what sort of traits they had and compare them. Between the two of them, there had to be something that Sakura liked. They were both second-year students, but that couldn't be the reason. They both were artistic, could that be it? He hated to admit it, but he didn't have a single artistic bone in his body, so that would be a fruitless effort if he attempted it.

Her house was a block away. If they went together, they could also shop a bit for the Christmas Party too. Would she mind if he got her a present?

Crossing the street, he was now steps away from her front door. Before he could reach the stairs, the front door swung open, revealing Sakura and Sasori leaving the house. The pair stopped just as the door closed, caught in Itachi's shocked gaze.

"Good morning, Sakura-chan," Itachi said, his voice soft. His eyes drifted to the redhead, "Sasori."

Sakura laughed nervously, "Ha, hey, senpai! What are you doing out so early on break?"

Itachi removed the list of items his mother wanted him to buy. "My mother wanted me to go to the store." He seemed reluctant, but he had to ask, "What about you?"

"We were just going to stop by Sasori-kun's place, so he can get a fresh pair of clothes."

"You spent the night together?" Itachi's sight fell on the dark circles under their eyes - they must have stayed up late.

Sasori's sight dropped to his shoes. "Mebuki-san insisted that I stay."

Itachi narrowed his eyes. "I see." Did she also insist on the two staying up late the entire night? Did they stay in the same room?

"S-senpai! Do you have any plans for the day? Maybe we can get everyone together and decide on something!" Sakura exclaimed, sensing the tension.

"That sounds great. It's pretty cold, so the hot springs wouldn't be so bad," Itachi agreed, attempting to brush off the awkward atmosphere.

"Cool, I'll send out a mass-text and call you after we're done at Sasori's place." Sakura jumped off the last step and smiled at him.

Itachi's eyes followed the redhead as he walked beside the girl he was in love with. Sasori glanced at him, but looked away instantly. What was he doing that for? Was he ashamed? Did they do something last night? Itachi came to the realization how dangerously close Sasori and Sakura were becoming. They were teetering back and forth like a seesaw at the playground, trying to balance it perfectly - and they were so close too.

As they walked down the crosswalk, the blood circulating through Itachi's body ran cold. Sasori was not someone to be taken lightly. All this time, he had never expected him to have a chance, really. There was a possibility, but this spike in attraction has only increased since their time cleaning the school.

Man, what a mistake that was. He should have just gone through with it and cleaned with her instead of allowing her to choose.

Sasori glimpsed back at Itachi's figure before they crossed the street. That look Itachi had given him was nothing less than the look of someone feeling threatened. Personally, he didn't mind seeing someone like Itachi that's so outwardly calm and collected squirming. They reached the train station, bought their tickets and stepped on board.

"Do you think senpai's upset?" Sakura asked.

Sasori tapped the back of her head. "Not really. Probably just tired - it's still early."

"Yeah, that's true. We stayed up for so long that I don't even feel tired now," Sakura laughed.

It was the same for Sasori. "You passed out before I did," he remarked.

She snapped her head in his direction, her expression darkening. "You better not have taken any pictures," she threatened.

"Don't flatter yourself. You would have broken my phone with that drool-covered face of yours," he joked.

Sakura puffed out her cheeks and slapped his shoulder. "Well, I'm the one that woke you up this morning and your face wasn't in the least cute! You looked like a big, old bear!"

Sasori laughed at her, "Your snoring kept me up!"

"I don't snore!"

"How would you know? You're sleeping when it happens." Sasori smirked.

Sakura crossed her arms, turning away from him. "You're all jokes this morning. I thought you hated getting up early," she pouted comically.

"Well, that's because I had a great night," he said truthfully.

Sakura blushed. He was too smooth sometimes, maybe he was right that other women liked him. "I-I've got to text the others and ask them their plans! I know Kisame-kun's in Kiri, so I'll just ask the others."

"Do whatever. We have about twenty more minutes until our stop." he said, leaning against the door.

She texted the message quickly, adding their names and pressed send. Within a few minutes, Deidara and Hidan agreed while Kakuzu took his time sending a simple 'k' and probably went back to bed.

"Oh, they're fine with it. I'll text senpai and we'll-" She paused as she received another text.

you're really cute when you're asleep - Sasori

Sakura glanced over at him, but his eyes were set looking past the other passengers on the train. She quickly texted Itachi about their plans then began another message.

In his hand, Sasori's phone vibrated and he read his new message.

stop teasing me like that. :(

For the duration of the trip, they continued to text each other, throwing a few insults and making a joke or two. Once they heard the announcement for their stop, the doors opened and the two made their exit out of the station.

Reaching his home, Sakura realized that she had never been to his house before. Sasori stopped at the porch and turned to her.

"Would you mind waiting outside?" he asked.

It was chilly and she was shivering, but Sakura understood. "Yeah, just don't take too long."

"I promise I won't." He opened the door, dodging a bag of recycled bottles and sprinted upstairs.

Sakura waited less than a few minutes until Sasori returned, wearing his casual coat and a fresh pair of clothes underneath. It had only taken him a minute to get dressed, he just needed a bit to brush his teeth, clean up a little, and gather his school bag.

"Let's go to my house and I'll grab my bag. By the time we come back, they'll probably be waiting at the library."

Their plan for the day: Meet at the library, finish their winter assignments, go out to eat at the mall, then head to the hot springs! If they had enough time, they could catch a movie at the theaters.

...

As Sakura had predicted, the others had already made their way to the library and had a table ready with all of their books and notes.

"Good morning, Cherry-chan!" Hidan greeted happily.

Sasori and Sakura took their seats side-by-side. "Good morning, Hidan-kun!" she beamed.

Hidan looked at her phone, noticing the cherry charm. Seeing it there just made him happy. Now, every time she'd use her phone, she'd look at it, and think of him!

"Alright, we can study for three hours until the lunch house opens in the mall and-" Itachi was cut off as Sakura's phone vibrated on the table.

"Sorry." she whispered, opening the message.

The boys watched her as she smiled, moving her thumbs to send the message. Who was she texting? A girl? A boy? Her mom? Their attention was directed to Sasori as his phone buzzed in his pocket.

Were they texting each other?! No, no. It was just a coincidence!

He read through the message and turned to her. "You obviously didn't understand the movie then," Sasori said, insulted.

"How was I supposed to know that she was actually his mother? It seemed kind of forced if you ask me," she said defensively.

They were texting! They were texting even though they were right next to each other!

"You didn't read the book, did you? I mean, I will agree that they didn't give you a lot of hints, but they had enough in the movie."

"I didn't even know it had a book! And I didn't spot a single hint that could possibly give the viewer a clue about their relationship."

The others watched them incredulously. Weren't they here to study?!

Sasori leaned his arm on the table, holding his chin in his hand. "Maybe we could rent it sometime and watch it together. I have the book too, I could lend it to you."

"Okay! I could read the book first and then we can watch it!" Sakura exclaimed.

Were they really making plans together in front of them?! What the hell was going on!

Kakuzu cleared his throat, cutting off their conversation. Raising his notebook to them, he appeared irritated. "Studying?" he grunted.

Sasori and Sakura shared a laugh, both apologizing. The two opened their notebooks and began running through the list of things they needed to review, silently working alone. The boys sitting around them were dumbstruck. They continued to watch them occasionally with a side-eye glance, but they seemed to have calmed down.

Itachi was the only one, presently, that knew that Sasori had spent the night. It wasn't right for him to reveal anything - even if he wanted to.

Slowly, Sasori nudged her with his elbow. Looking at the others, Sakura did the same, elbowing him back. It was funny to the both of them, they were trying to be sneaky, but the slightest movement had the table rocking.

"What are you doing?" Deidara said gruffly, grabbing hold of his textbook.

"Sorry." Sasori responded, glancing at Sakura only to find her doing the same thing.

They were acting like children now!

Sakura held her pen to her lips, reading over one of the chapters she had trouble with, but it still wasn't getting into her head. English grammar just didn't make sense to her. Noticing the confused look on her face, Sasori pulled her chair closer to him, checking what the problem was.

"You're not supposed to use a comma like that. It's used as a passive transition, not to throw around whenever you feel like it," he explained.

Sakura didn't get it. "I thought I was using it right. See? The sentence is changing subjects, isn't it?" She pointed to one of the words then turned to Sasori.

Sasori read over the sentence and shook his head. "No, that's not right. You'll use a period because then it just becomes a run-on sentence. You have to be careful with that. Once the sentence begins to change its subject, that's when you know that it's supposed to be a new one."

Sakura nodded her head, thoughtful. "Okay... What about this then?" She corrected one of the problems on her worksheet and presented it to him.

"Yes, that's good."

She smiled, understanding what she hadn't before. "All right, it's starting to make sense now. Thanks, Sasori-kun."

Lifting his head, Sasori was met with the indignant glares of his fellow club mates. He returned with his own apathetic stare then continued with his work. The others were confused. It had been a week since their time at the cabins and Sakura didn't seem at all interested in any of them.

Setting her pen down to open one of her folders, she failed to catch it in time before it rolled onto the floor. Bending down to retrieve it, she collided with Sasori's head as attempted the same action.

She reeled back, unhurt, but Sasori rubbed his forehead gingerly. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry!" she fretted.

Sasori batted her away. "Yeah, it doesn't hurt too much. But you've got a really hard head."

"Sorry." she repeated, taking her pencil back.

After their time of studying was finished, they headed towards the mall, ready to enjoy and relax.

Deidara caught up to Sasori, whispering in his ear, "Hey, what happened between you and Sakura-chan? You guys are acting really weird."

"You think so? I just thought that we were acting just as we normally did." He gave an innocent smile to his friend.

Deidara had to disagree. "But you two were swapping texts a lot. I've never seen you do that before."

Sakura waved her hand in the air, waiting in line to get everyone's food. "Sasori-kun, come help me!"

He shrugged his shoulders at Deidara then moved past him. Deidara frowned, sitting at the table with the others.

"What's going on with the two of them? It's really freaking me out." Deidara asked the others.

Hidan's eyes drifted to the two as they continued to chat while waiting in line. "You're telling me. It's getting on my fucking nerves," he hissed.

"Do you know anything about it, Itachi?" Kakuzu asked, curious as to why their president was so quiet.

Itachi read over the small pamphlet placed on their table. He didn't want to tell them - it was Sasori's responsibility to do that. Waiting was the only option because they all wanted to keep it off of Sakura's shoulders. Once they had Sasori alone, they'd rip into him about it. More importantly, he wanted all of the information about their night together.

Sakura and Sasori carried their trays of food placing them on the table and sitting on opposite sides of each other.

"So, Sakura-chan, how did it go with your school assignment? Did you get it all finished?" Kakuzu asked.

Sakura nodded while taking a bite of her hamburger. "Mhm! I'm really glad we took the time out of today to finish everything. That way, we'll have the rest of our winter break to waste time."

"Would you like to go shopping with me for the decorations, Sakura-chan?" Itachi asked, invitingly.

She nodded. "Sure. Do you want to go after the hot springs?"

"Yes, that'll be great."

Hidan straightened his posture. "Hey, Cherry-chan, I'm really happy that you like that charm I won for you. It isn't too heavy for your phone, right?"

Sakura lifted her phone, examining the charm. "No, it's perfectly fine, Hidan-kun. I really love it!"

"I always want to buy you things, but I never have enough money." Hidan admitted.

"Hidan-kun, you don't have to spend your money on me!"

"But I want to," he insisted, "I want you to know that I'm always thinking of you!"

Sakura blushed, drinking from her soda. "That's so sweet of you, Hidan-kun. I'm really happy to hear you say something like that."

Hidan smirked, glimpsing over at the redhead, expecting to see an unenthused reaction, but was surprised to find Sasori unperturbed.

They finished their meal, excited for their trip to the hot spring. Buying their entry inside, Sakura waved goodbye to the boys and headed towards the girls' side. They cleaned themselves off then settled into the hot water, their bodies slumping lower into the spring.

While pulling his hair atop his head, Itachi decided this was the perfect time to satisfy his underlying curiosity. "Sasori, what's going on between you and Sakura-chan?"

The others shared the same look as Itachi. Sasori combed his fingers through his hair, irritation crossing over his face.

"Since our feelings have already been discovered, why do I need to tell any of you?"

Deidara was slightly insulted. "What does that mean? We're your friends!"

"That's true, but friends shouldn't have to share everything." Sasori responded.

"It's only expected of someone if they all share the same feelings with the same girl." Itachi pointed out.

Sasori smiled, "Nothing's really going on."

"Then why don't you want to tell the others?" Itachi challenged.

The redhead quickly became serious as the others wondered what Itachi was talking about.

"Maybe because I don't want last week's drama to repeat itself." he answered.

Kakuzu, Deidara, and Hidan had no clue what was going on. "Just tell us, Sasori-kun. We've all accepted that Sakura-chan's going to have to choose one of us," Deidara reasoned.

"Yeah, we accepted that a long time ago during the Cultural Festival. The six of us had just realized last week how serious it was all becoming."

"Spit it out, asshole," Hidan ordered angrily.

"That just proves my point," Sasori responded flatly.

Kakuzu tugged on Hidan's shoulder. "Don't worry about Hidan. You know how much of an idiot he is. Tell us what happened."

Sasori sighed, confirming that he wasn't going to get out of this. "All right. I asked Sakura if she would talk to me after the Founding Festival to discuss the matters of our kiss."

"What did she say?" Itachi inquired, his body moving closer.

"She said that she didn't mind kissing me," Sasori revealed.

That hit hard. The others winced, physically hurt by his words, but they remained silent, waiting to hear what else he had to say.

"I walked her home and her mother insisted that I stay the night. She was worried that I'd get mugged or something on the way home and-"

"You spent the night?" Kakuzu exclaimed.

Hidan threw his hands in the air. "You've got to be kidding me! These stupid juniors are getting special treatment! It isn't fair!"

"You didn't sleep in her room, did you?" Kakuzu asked, his deep voice ruffled.

Sasori hesitated, monitoring their expressions carefully. "I... did, actually."

Itachi bowed his head, closing his eyes while he swiped his hand down his face in an exasperated manner. Hidan and Kakuzu grumbled to themselves.

Deidara couldn't say much of it, having done the same thing. "That's cool. I'm sure it was because she didn't want to sleep alone, right?" he said, understandingly. "She slept in her bed while you slept on the floor!"

Hearing this, the others' bodies relaxed, feeling silly that they let their imagination get the better of them.

Sasori swallowed hard, a faint smile curving over his lips. "No, we slept together on the floor." His voice was sharp and clear - deliberately making sure they heard him correctly.

"What the fuck." Hidan muttered under his breath.

"You're acting pretty smug considering how nervous you were this morning when I caught the two of you leaving her house." Itachi said, his agitation boiling over its limit.

Kakuzu gestured to Itachi. "You knew about it, but you didn't tell us?"

"I wanted Sasori to own up to his responsibilities," Itachi told him.

Sasori's expression twisted into confusion. "Responsibilities? Do you think I was ashamed of what I did? I couldn't exactly help the situation I was in. Sure, I could have spoken with her earlier, got on my train, and went home, but that would have just meant that I'd still be around all of you while discussing something intimate. I wouldn't feel comfortable, she wouldn't feel comfortable, so we'd be dragging something out that could easily be resolved. I don't regret anything from last night, in fact, it was one of the best nights of my life," he stated, unconcerned with how he appeared to them.

"Did you do anything?" Hidan interrogated, his eyes hard.

Sasori rolled his eyes. "Oh, yes, my hands were all over her. I just couldn't contain my sexual urges." He heard the cursing already building in Hidan's throat. "Or, maybe, we just talked with each other. Not everything has to be sexual - I'm not an animal." he spat.

"What if she wanted to?" Itachi prompted.

Sasori glared at the Uchiha. "We were both sober and clear of mind. If she would have wanted to have sex then it'd be her choice, I'd simply be going with what she wanted."

"So you would have," Itachi affirmed.

Sasori shook his head, chuckling. "Why is that such a bad thing to you? It would have been completely consensual on both ends. Anyway, it's stupid to argue over the what-if's simply because it didn't happen. Stop trying to demonize me because you suffer with your insecurities, Itachi."

Itachi scooted back enough for his back to make contact with the wall of the bath. "I'm not insecure. I just want to make sure Sakura's happy."

"Have you stopped to look at her? She is happy. We had a lot of fun sharing stories. The only reason we even slept together was because I was too tired to put her back in bed anyway."

Deidara pointed to the locker room where they kept their belongings. "But what about the texting? You two were doing a lot of that in the library!"

"I really don't know, honestly. It was something that started on the train that we continued inside. Not a big deal." Sasori shrugged.

"Couples do that kind of thing!" Hidan snapped, his voice harsh. "You two aren't a couple."

"Who cares? We've also kissed and spent the night together, so what is the big deal with doing something like that? Don't tell me that you're so jealous that something as little as texting each other while in person is going to set you off." Sasori stood up, hanging his towel around his waist. "I'm done talking about this. Interpret it any way that you want, but it's still going to have the same ending. Sakura and I are just enjoying our time together. I'm sticking to what I told her, if she chooses someone else then I'll still be happy for her." He climbed out, heading to the lockers to redress.

The others sat together in the hot springs, contemplating his words. He was right, although they hated to agree, they were acting like children. Fear was building inside of them, afraid that the girl they cared the most for had finally made her decision.

"I don't know what I'd do if she picks someone other than me," Hidan confessed, hands shaking. "I really fucking love her and I want her so badly."

"Yeah, we all do," Kakuzu said, patting his friend's shoulder. "You've just got to hope for the best."

...

Rolling up his sleeves, Sasori loitered in the hallway dividing between the women and men's sides. He knew they would react that way, it was Itachi's fault for starting it. He admitted to himself that he was feeling a little smug, shoving it in their face how close they were. Was that really a bad thing? They did a lot of that while he would watch on with envy. Was it wrong for them to have a taste of their own medicine?

"Oh, Sasori-kun, what's up? Where are the others?" Sakura asked, her hair still damp.

She looked too cute. Her hair crinkled into soft waves, falling over her shoulders. It was almost hypnotizing. Snapping out of it, Sasori smiled, "They're still in the bath." He followed her with his eyes as she stood beside him.

"I know they were upset about how we were acting this morning. I kind of feel bad about it," she confessed.

Sasori frowned, holding his coat in his arms. "I don't. Why feel bad for having fun?"

She laughed, "That's sort of true - it wasn't too bad. We all finished our assignments, so it couldn't have been that distracting."

"Yeah, even though I'm super tired." Sasori commented.

Sakura yawned on cue. "Me too. But we'll get our sleep soon enough. That steam really sucks the energy out of you. I don't think I could sit through a movie."

"Don't forget that you're going with Itachi to buy Christmas decorations for the party," he reminded.

Sakura had almost forgotten. "Oh, that's right. Do you want to come with us? Everyone can."

"I would, but I'm completely exhausted. Just text me in case I fall asleep on the train." he joked.

"Yeah, maybe we should cancel, so everyone can go tomorrow," she said.

"You shouldn't cancel plans, Sakura-chan. It's rude." Sasori wasn't worried about Itachi and Sakura spending time together. He was already confident in himself that he didn't feel like being jealous anymore.

"Okay, okay I'll go. What are you my dad?" she teased.

"Thankfully, no. You were probably worse of a brat than you are now." he retorted.

Sakura pushed him playfully. "I'm not a brat! You're the brat always acting so cool!"

"It's not an act, I am cool," he laughed as she pushed him again. "See? You are a bully."

"Only to you."

Itachi and the others exited the mens' area, meeting Sakura and Sasori in the wide hallway. "I think it's a little late to watch a movie," he began.

Sakura rocked back and forth on her heels. "Yeah, I think so too. Do you want to head to the store now, senpai?"

Itachi smiled, "Yes, let's go."

"See you guys, later! I can't wait for the party!" Sakura said enthusiastically, pulling her hat over her head

"Me too, Cherry-chan!" Hidan called out.

"Don't forget to buy some more chopsticks! Maybe we can play Osama again!" Deidara shouted.

Sakura jumped up. "Yeah, yeah! That's a great idea, Deidara-kun!" The two exited the bathhouse, returning a bow from the hostess.

Sasori removed his mp3 after zipping up his coat. Turning it on, he was ready to move, but a hand firmly grabbed his shoulder, stopping him. Peering over his shoulder, he found Hidan.

"What is it?" Sasori asked, monotone.

"I wanted to say sorry for acting like a dick," he mumbled, his words mushed together. "I want Cherry-chan to be happy too, so I need to stop freaking out when someone spends time with her."

"Thanks, Hidan," Sasori replied, smiling.

Hidan released him, hanging his head. He hated apologizing, but he needed to. It was just like Sasori said, he wanted Sakura to stay happy and, if it wasn't with him, then so be it.

"Good job," Kakuzu acknowledged.

Deidara agreed, "Yeah, that was really mature of you, Hidan."

Hidan pushed them away, his face flushed with embarrassment. "Shut it, idiots! I was just doing what I thought was right! I'm still going to try my best to be with Cherry-chan!" Their party... it was the last time they'd have before meeting together for New Year's. He wasn't giving up!

...

Sakura and Itachi disputed over the necessities for the party. The list of people was small: the Student Council, Shisui and possibly Hana if she could make it. Collecting garland, hanging lanterns, and a miniature Christmas tree for the table, Sakura snatched up some disposable chopsticks and package of plastic cups for drinks. They moved through the snack aisle, settling on popcorn, sweets, and other unlisted junk food to carry them through the evening.

After they purchased everything, Itachi and Sakura walked together to his home. At the first step, Itachi stopped to speak with her.

"Would you mind coming inside?"

Sakura, of course, didn't mind. "Sure, senpai." She slipped off her shoes at the entryway and followed Itachi to the kitchen. "Is Shisui-kun not here?"

"He's out with friends." Itachi replied.

"Is he excited about the party too?" She set her bag on the counter, turning back to Itachi.

"I'm sure he is. He's already stockpiled a few bottles of sake for the celebration." Itachi mused.

They experienced a moment of silence as Itachi contemplated if he should ask her about her night spent with Sasori. It was true that he wanted her to be happy, but it was bothering him.

"Sakura-chan, were you all right with Sasori spending the night with you?" he finally asked.

Sakura blinked, "Huh? Y-yeah, I was fine with it."

Itachi spared a glance in her direction, wondering to himself why she seemed so shy about it. "Other girls wouldn't be so willing to have two different boys spending the night in their house in a time of less than a month," he remarked.

Sakura was taken aback by his blunt statement. "What are you trying to say? My mom was there last night and she's the one who agreed to it."

"I'm just saying that it comes off as a little inappropriate. You aren't dating either one of them, so people may get ideas in their heads."

"Are you talking about the party that I went to with Deidara-kun? Nothing happened that time, I just wanted someone there because I was afraid of being alone in the house." she responded.

Itachi knew that wasn't the truth, but she wasn't aware that Deidara had confessed to everything that had happened. She probably didn't even know that they knew she was drunk too.

"I like you, Sakura-chan. I really do, but I'm confused. I don't understand how you can feel it's perfectly acceptable to bring a boy over that already has feelings for you."

"I already said that my mom-"

"But you could have told your mother to drive him home. Instead, you allowed him to sleep over. Don't you know what kind of thoughts those actions can put in a boy's head?"

Sakura didn't like being scolded. "Sasori-kun's visit is none of your business! It was cold and late," she answered briskly.

"Did he sleep with you? Did you purposely leave yourself open to that?" he questioned, his voice rising.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?! He slept on the futon on the floor, but I-"

"Did you sleep with him? Did you decide that your bed was too uncomfortable, so you'd rather sleep on the floor beside him? Is that really something a girl should be doing?"

Sakura held her clenched fists to her sides, her anger mounting. "Don't talk to me like that. You have no right to scold me!"

"I have a right to voice how I feel! Behavior like that is only creating an easy reputation for yourself!" He bit his tongue, regretting his words immediately after he said them.

Sakura looked at him, astonished. "Is that what you think of me?" she whispered.

Itachi shook his head fervently. "No, I didn't mean that at all. I'm just..."

"Then what is 'easy' supposed to mean?! I've heard it before from Ino and Mizuki, so inform me if there's a different definition!" Tears formed in her eyes, but she forced them shut. She refused to cry in front of him.

"Sakura, that's not at all what I intended to say. I let my anger take control over my thoughts. I'm sorry." he said.

"So thinking it isn't as bad?! Do you really think just because you don't say it means that you're just going to forget those feelings?" she shouted.

Itachi frowned, "You're a girl, Sakura. I was angry because I'm worried about you. If you were to do that sort of thing with another guy, you could end up in a dangerous situation."

"You don't think that I know that? I'm pretty sure that I was the one being harassed when I was with Mizuki! I'm not an idiot, so I don't need to be treated like one. I can take care of myself just fine."

"You have to be realistic. You're small and fighting against someone with those kinds of intentions will only end with you getting hurt." he said sternly.

"Deidara and Sasori are not like that! How horrible of you to say that about your own friends!"

"I'm not saying that. I just-" He slapped his hand to his forehead, visibly frustrated. "I want you to be aware of the danger. I care about you and it would kill me if I ever found out that I couldn't protect you."

"Well, I can assure you that I am very careful, senpai. I appreciate the concern, but I'll be fine. Sasori and I had fun talking with each other, nothing else was even mentioned," she responded coldly. "I'm going home now. Thanks for inviting me to go shopping with you."

As she walked away, Itachi couldn't resist asking her, "Sakura-chan, do you love me?"

Sakura halted only a few feet from the door, her back to him. He waited for her to do something. The entire house was incredibly still. It was so silent, he could hear the small exhales of her breath as she stood, thoughtful. Moving slowly, she faced him. His eyes widened as they fell on a tear-streaked face.

He bowed his head, realization washing over him. "So that's how it is... Nothing at all?" he mumbled, his dark eyes averting from her gaze.

Tears glistened in her eyes. "I thought there was... I really did."

He inhaled a large breath into his lungs. "I see," he answered softly. He must have went wrong somewhere, he only had himself to blame.

Her chest heaved as she watched his expression crumbled in front of her. It hurt. The heaviness burrowed deep into his heart, but he presented her with an understanding smile. "I can only tell you how sorry I am for failing you. Even with all of my love, it wasn't enough." He tried his best to mask his feelings, but she could see right through it.

She cupped her hands around her mouth, quietly sobbing. She didn't want to cry, but it just couldn't be contained. "I'm... so sorry." Her eyes widened as she felt his arms wrap around her.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I should be for every time I've hurt you... Will you forgive me?" He rested his head onto hers, his eyes closed.

"Of course I forgive you," she cried.

"Sakura-chan, can I hold you like this for a while longer?" His voice cracked as he secured his arms around her.

She nodded, allowing him the small comfort. Bringing her hands around his body, she cried harder. They were never together. They never kissed or displayed their affection. There was only a small moment where she thought he could be something more to her, but it wasn't there anymore. It was a fleeting moment.

So why was she crying so hard?

Itachi's hand ran through her hair, the other holding her waist. He never wanted to let go of her.

Throat tightening, he sighed, "I... really love you."

If he let go now, everything would be gone.

Her heart sank lower in her chest. "I know you do."

"Don't tell the others about this, please." he mumbled into her hair, taking in her scent. The familiar smell of citrus perforated his nostrils. He'd recognize it anywhere.

"I won't." she promised.

Slowly, he released her from his grasp. With each motion, he felt the tear in his heart steadily rip it in two. Looking down at her, he brushed her messy hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear.

"Sakura-chan..." He bent forward, delicately pressing his lips to her cheek. "Thank you for making my last year the happiest. I wouldn't be having nearly as much fun as I would have if you weren't a member of the Student Council."

She wept openly, tears cascading from her eyes. "Thank you for giving me the chance to. You've made me so happy." she replied.

"Can I walk you home?" he asked quietly.

She nodded again and the two made their way back. Itachi's chest was aching, his hands shook, he wanted to hold her again. Reaching her home, he stumbled back as she hugged him.

"I want you to know that you'll always be special to me. You've helped me through so much and I'm so grateful for everything you've done. Thank you so much, Itachi." She failed to keep her voice steady.

Itachi patted her head. "Same too you, Sakura-chan. If you ever need me for anything, just call me. I'll always be here for you."

"I will. Itachi-kun?"

"Yes?"

"Am I still invited to the Christmas party?" Her bottom lip trembled from her crying and the added effects of the cold, winter wind.

Itachi smiled at her. "Of course. It wouldn't be fun if you weren't there," he answered. "Good night, Sakura-chan."

She wiped her eyes, walking backwards to her door. "Good night, Itachi-kun."

xxx

Amg, I cried.. that's like my favorite pair right there. Welp, I still love them. <3 And I'm back! I shall be finishing this book within by tonight, if not, it'll be tomorrow. I promised I'd update when I got back, thank you so much for the votes and stuff. Looking forward to reading comments hopefully.

xTsu