Dedicated to Katie-chan, who helped me meticulously edit this, and repeatedly sends me songs I ask for.

The fire crackled merrily, reflecting in her half dead brown eyes. A blanket was draped around her shoulders, a cold cup of hot chocolate clenched in her pale hands. Snow was falling outside the window, blanketing the world in a shimmering glow. It was Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve... And she was alone.

She sniffed a little, the fire claiming her entire attention. Her parents were out at a Christmas party, and her friends had offered to spend Christmas with her, but she smiled at them brokenly and told them to spend it with their families. There was one other person she would have loved to spend Christmas with. But he had a family as well, and she refused to pull him away from that.

So when she heard the hollow knocking from the front of her home, she was sure she was imagining it. It persisted however, echoing through her head, and forcing her off the floor to answer it. She left her cup on the small table, and pulled the blanket tighter around herself as she reached to open the door. The knocking continued.

Finally she pulled the door open and it swung inward, revealing the person she least expected, but most wanted to see. Her eyes widened in surprise and her breath caught in her throat.

"I-Itachi?" she questioned, wondering if she had lost her sanity. He gave her a meaningful look that painted a blush on her cheeks and that stopped her heart, then sent it racing. She tried to remember how to breathe. Through the pounding of her heart in her ears she could barely hear his calm, smooth as liquid silk voice.

"May I come in?" he said quietly. He wasn't asking, which gave her little choice but to say yes, even though she couldn't have turned him away if she tried. So, unable to speak, she nodded spastically and moved away from the door. He watched her reaction coolly, and stepped in, the snowflakes standing out against his raven hair.

"W-why? What about y-your family?" Her blush intensified, and she averted her eyes as she closed the door, hoping he wouldn't notice. Unfortunately for her, however, he did notice; he wasn't an ANBU at age thirteen for nothing. He wasn't ignorant either, and knew that her blush wasn't from a fever or a red flush from the cold. He cocked his head and stared at her.

"I'll see them tomorrow. Are you alright?"

"Wha?"

"Are you uncomfortable with me being here?"

Her gaze snapped up to him again and, panicking, she raised her arms and shook her hands back and forth, causing the blanket to fall from her shoulders and land near the door behind her.

"No, no! It's not that... Well, I'm... I mean...!" He listened to her blubbering as she tried to explain while her blush became worse. Slowly her words failed, and her arms fell limply to her sides, her eyes falling to the floor and becoming sad. Surely he thought she was a bumbling idiot.

"You never stutter around others." Itachi stated bluntly. Her eyes widened at the ground, before she shut them tightly.

"O... others... aren't you..." She confessed softly, sure there could be no blood left in any part of her body other than her face. His eyes flashed briefly, and he looked away from the blushing girl.

"I don't know what you mean." Was he going to make her spell it out? Could he honestly not comprehend why her face was redder than a rose? His gaze returned to her as her bare feet poked at the ground, her hands clenched behind her back.

Then his eyes drifted up towards the ceiling, and back down in a smooth movement. He stared at her for a moment longer before stepping forward and placing his hand on the wall above her shoulder. He leaned forward, his mouth near her ear.

"Hotaru," she shivered and closed her eyes tightly, embarrassed at his close proximity. Her mouth was clamped tightly shut, her voice had gone into hiding, and the butterflies in her stomach protested vehemently. She could feel the change in the air around her as his other hand found the wall near her other shoulder.

"Tell me why," his breath was hot on her ear, and she realized she had forgotten to breathe when she gasped with lack of oxygen. As if he didn't notice, he continued speaking.

"You only stutter around me." Her embarrassment continued to grow exponentially; she couldn't tell Itachi the truth, and live to suffer his rejection. She struggled to think clearly, and opened her eyes, only to see that he was closer than she had thought.

"I-it's... embarrassing..." She muttered, hoping he would accept this and back away, so she could begin to breathe again. But it clearly wasn't enough for the Uchiha as he pulled his head back to see her face and moved closer. His right hand left the wall and found her face; the warmth from her flushed face was pleasant to touch.

"You have no need to be embarrassed," he soothed. Fumbling, she searched for another excuse, anything to guard her obvious secret.

"You'll be disgusted by me." His hand moved to her chin and forced her to look up at him. Their eyes locked, and she couldn't look away, she was a mouse trapped by a weasel.

"That's not possible," he promised, causing her heart to stutter, and then resume its double time tempo. Somehow, she managed to shake her head, to deny that she would tell him the reason. A hint of annoyance smoldered in his eyes as he once again leaned closer. His hand moved to stroke her hair away from her ear, very lightly brushing the side of her face. Her skin burned white hot where his hand had touched and his face slowly loomed closer to her ear.

"Hotaru, tell me why," he commanded gently. The tension in her body continued building, and with this command, she melted.

"Because... Because when I'm around you, my heart beats wildly. ...Because when you come this close to me, I forget to breathe. Because... when you touch me, I can't think of anything else..." She trailed off; embarrassed at the confession he had finally drawn from her. Because I love you... she finished silently.

For the longest time, Itachi didn't respond, didn't move, and didn't speak. Then finally his eyes moved above her head to the ceiling, and she waited for him to tell her how disgusting and pathetic she was.

"Hotaru..." She loved hearing him say her name, loved his voice like no other. She never wanted to hear that voice breathe harsh words to her. But the harsh words she expected never came. Instead...

"Look up," he breathed into her ear. Slowly, confused, her eyes traveled up, until they landed on...

"Mistletoe," she choked out. Her heart, which had finally begun to resume its normal speed tripled in its pace. The blood, which had gradually left her face returned in seconds, and her breathing, which had become even came sporadically.

"I-I'm sorry," she stammered, hoping he didn't think she had planned for him to pin her to the wall beneath mistletoe. Her eyes returned to his face, and she watched his onyx eyes fall slowly back down and latch onto hers. He began to move even closer, and when she spoke, her voice was high pitched.

"I-Itachi?" Then in a final nerve wracking moment, their lips connected. Her eyes widened, and then closed lethargically, as she raised her arms and wrapped them around his neck, trying to bring him closer. Her hand enveloped what it could of his hair, and his found hers, pulling her closer than they thought possible. She was melting, lost in a starry abyss.

Until she pulled away, dazed, and needing to breathe. Itachi merely moved his lips to her hair, and she continued to melt.

"Itachi..." she breathed, as he showered her hair in hot kisses.

"Hm?" He murmured.

"Merry Christmas," she told him. He gave a short chuckle, laying a soft kiss on each of her eyelids.

"Merry Christmas, Hotaru," he replied.