Written for Day 25 of Sakura Month: Merry Christmas, Sakura!

This was a new ship and kind of a whim for me, but I found myself enjoying them to a surprising degree, I'll probably write more.


A soft, chill nudge trailed along Sakura's arm and she shivered, then whined, curling up and flailing for the blanket to drag over her head. If anyone actually forced her to wake up and get out of bed today, she thought muzzily, when she was blissfully free of work duties, she was going to kill them.

The chill spot of damp remained where it was but nothing more disturbed her and Sakura relaxed a little, sinking deeper into sleep once more.

She didn't stir again until a much warmer touch slid over the outside of her thigh. She shifted a little, allowing her legs to be unfolded again without much thought. She was vaguely aware of hands stroking up her sides and then a much larger expanse of warm skin brushing over her own.

Sakura's breath caught and her eyes opened at the unmistakable feeling of a nuzzling kiss pressed right between her breasts. She looked down just in time to see the blanket sliding away from Kiba's tousled hair as he grinned at her smugly. "Merry Christmas, Sakura!"

Sakura tried to stomp down her smile as she shook her head at him, but raised a hand to stroke his cheek just along his Clan marking anyway. She looked to her side and found Akamaru sitting by the bed with a big doggy grin. The source of the cooler, damp touch, of course. Akamaru nudged his head onto the bed and made a snuffling sound, muzzle pressing down into the thick blankets.

Sakura reached out and petted his head, his nose once more rubbing along her arm as he tilted his head up into the touch, making her shiver. "Merry Christmas." she half-sighed the words, glancing from dog back to man.

Akamaru's tail wagged and Kiba stretched out on top of her, warm and solid. Sakura hummed, arching up into him without thinking. Kiba shifted a little higher and nuzzled her collarbone, breath warm on her skin. He growled affectionately and nipped her, making her laugh and squirm under him, and Akamaru shifted under her hand, sighing heavily as he began to slink away obligingly.

Sakura laughed again and tightened her fingers in a handful of shaggy fluff, keeping the dog from leaving them alone. She curled her other arm around Kiba, and he stretched out at her side, pressing his nose against her neck and drawing a deep breath - making a snuffling sound not unlike Akamaru's.

Sakura craned her head to peek at the clock on the bedside table, absently running her nails up and down the back of Kiba's neck. He shivered, rumbling softly again, then nuzzled her ear. "I'm not trying to get you out of bed." he said, and Sakura hummed dubiously.

Kiba wrapped both arms around her and tucked her snugly against his chest, squeezing firmly enough to knock the breath out of her for a moment. Sakura wriggled, scratching his chest - he yipped in surprise at the mild sting, and Sakura grinned and tipped her head down to bite the muscle there instead. He groaned, fidgeting and arching his back.

"So you're trying to keep me in bed?" Sakura suggested wryly, lightly shoving him over and taking advantage to snuggle her head onto his shoulder. "For some reason?" She rolled her hips suggestively against his thigh to underline her meaning.

"Mm, s'early." Kiba agreed easily, rubbing his hand up and down her waist and hip, cuddling closer into her and dragging the blanket up higher. Sakura smiled and closed her eyes, happily letting him cradle her close. ". . .time for that later, when it's a reasonable time to be awake." he added, clawed fingers curling possessively around her hip, and Sakura smothered her giggles against his chest.

There would indeed be time later - a day off was a day off, rare as they were, and three years as hospital director had only further underlined what Sakura had already fervently believed about snatching extra sleep whenever possible. Besides, a cuddly, lazy lie-in with her boyfriend sounded like a wonderful Christmas morning to her. Following it with lazy morning sex whenever they woke up sounded even better. Sakura hummed contentedly, rubbing her legs together idly and then nestling them against Kiba's.

"We'll be up in a bit, buddy." Kiba said in a voice already rough with sleep.

Sakura frowned slightly, then opened her eyes and twisted to look over her own shoulder to where Akamaru was still sitting by the side of the bed, now watching them with big, sad puppy eyes. He sighed mournfully.

Sakura laughed, turning back to Kiba and snuggling into him. "Akamaru doesn't want a lie-in?" she asked.

"I'm sure he would, but now he's sulking." Kiba said, his voice warm with fond amusement.

"It's okay by me." Sakura said on a sigh, rolling her shoulders under the blanket. Kiba made a curious sound. "If he comes up. As long as he doesn't lie on me." She fixed Kiba with a firm look, but since she could mostly see his jaw from her angle it was probably not terribly effective.

Kiba hugged her tighter around the waist and then made a soft whuffing sound, followed immediately by the bed shifting significantly behind Sakura. Akamaru was careful as always as he placed his paws, then flopped down on the free side of the bed. He was close along Sakura's back and legs as he settled - their bed was big, but Sakura wasn't sure they could actually have found a bed big enough for both of them plus Akamaru.

Sakura dozed off peacefully wrapped cosily warm between Akamaru's mountain of fluff on the other side of the blankets and the broad, muscular heat of Kiba wound around her beneath them.