A/N: Just a in-progress collection of SaiSaku shorts I've put up on my tumblr. Drabbles, one-shots, ranging from everything from comedy to tragedy. Some posts may be connected, most won't. Just look at the notes!

1

worry

She was falling and so he dove after her, it was as simple as that, two lines intersecting at one point, one thought, catch her.

Sai hugged her close, one hand fumbling into his pouch for brush and scroll. The wind unrolled the scroll with such a vicious snap that he cut his finger on the edge. He did not wince. More important matters at hand, like - - Sakura groaned, the concussion must have been stronger than he'd thought, if their descent did not wake her - - finally he set brush to paper and scribbled a beast - -

The black maw stretched from the page, the head leaping into existence followed by the flicking, curled body.

- - The earth rushed to meet them and there was a roar that drowned out the whistle of wind in his ears as they fell upon ink and chakra. Though it took the brunt of their descent, Sai felt a bolt of pain ricochet through his body and he allowed himself to grimace. Or would a frown be a more appropriate response here?

Sakura groaned and the sound vibrated over his chest. Her eyes opened to lucidity and she gasped his name. She ran thrumming green hands down the side of his body and the pain melted away.

"You're not injured yourself?" he said. He moved to stand but her firm grip on his wrist made it difficult.

"I'm not done," she said.

Sai blinked. He was not sure but there were signs - - taut tone, pinched brows, mouth like a hard line - - that suggested to him that - -

"You are upset?"

Sakura looked surprised, her widening eyes told him as much, before she resumed her check up. "A little."

"Why? I have saved you, you didn't crack your head and lose anymore brain cells than you've already lost." Sai chose to frown; she wasn't thrashing him for his rudeness. A red flag went off in his head, and distantly, he wondered when he had one so attuned to Sakura.

Her hands fell away and the glow faded. Sighing, she said, "No, I'm sorry. You're right, I should be grateful - - thank you, Sai, for saving me." Her green eyes swept up to meet his and she mustered a smile. "Just… be careful next time you dive after me, okay?"

Sai studied her. The moment grew longer and Sakura began to fidget; whatever he was searching for, he wasn't finding it.

"Sai, what is it?"

"What were you feeling? Emotion, I mean," said Sai. "Earlier you said you were 'upset', but my books tell me that that is usually precluded by a negative occurrence accompanied by angry words or yelling, and can be followed by a physical altercation. You've done none of these things and yet you said you were 'worried'?"

Sakura looked embarrassed. It confused him even more. "Um, Sai, it's not a big deal - - "

Now he was the one gripping her wrist to prevent her from leaving. Sakura's lips parted in a startled 'oh'. Another emotion he prompted from her.

"Please," Sai said, using one of the 'polite' words she'd been drilling into his head for weeks. "I'm trying to learn."

Something flickered in Sakura's eyes, something he was not yet capable of identifying. She said, "It's 'worry', Sai. I was feeling 'worry'. It's what you feel when someone you care about risks getting hurt for you. You're glad they saved you, but you still feel it."

Naruto was shouting at them from the cliff top, "We've got 'em tied up!" and waving.

"'Worry'," Sai repeated, the words shaping his lips in foreign ways. "I'll remember that."

Sakura's lips flicked into a soft smile that reached her eyes and she tugged at his hand and cocked her head. "Let's go before Naruto attracts more ninjas."

They had reached the clifftop when Sai realized her hand was still clutching his.