He loves me, a blue petal fell, drifting down to the earth. Soon another followed. He loves me not.

Boys could make little girls a little silly.

The sun of dawn had kissed the horizon farewell long ago, the arc of the moon now amongst the stars in the sky. At a late hour things were beginning to settle; shops were closing and doors went shut as people returned to their beds for the night.

Asami, however, had no intentions on sleeping that night. The young girl was confounded by her thoughts; as any young girl would be she found herself trapped by the mental images of a particular boy. One who showed no definite interest in her, mind you, but a boy no less.

On a very unparticular night, the agile girl crept through the frame of her bedroom window and along the roof tiles, down the support beams and into the backyard. A train of lavender ringlets spread along the moist grass as the tiny girl stepped along, sitting only when she was before the fish pond.

Her eyes fell to the flowers in her grip and she smiled. And so began the adolescent medium that she believed so strongly could determine her fate. Tiny petals pecked the surface of the pond with their softness, one by one, following the chime of her voice. To be or not to be. It is or it isn't. He loves me, he loves me not.

Petal-ridden steps littered the grass beside her leg now, leaving a single lilac to quiver in her grasp.

"He loves me," Her voice knelled. There was but a single petal left. She froze, and the once jubilant girl frowned at what she assumed was her fate. Her finger twitched from apprehension. "He, loves me n- -"

The shift of brush startled her, interrupting her words. Asami lifts her head, immediately attuned to the disturbance of her surroundings. She drops what is left of her flower and stands as the rustling furthers and intensifies.

A darkly-shrouded figure bursts from the bushes and rolls among the grass. Asami takes a spread-legged stance, arms situated as though they were the makings of a bow and arrow. The dark tumbling mass found its way beneath the rays of the moon, and washed away the shadows.

The two boys untangled from each other, grumbling and dusting grass from their outfits. If not for the height difference it normally may have been more difficult to tell who was the oldest. The eldest's visage was defined solely by the lines that indented the inner corners of his eyes, while the other had a head full of rebelling ebony spikes and three-striped gashes upon his brow.

Asami's brows lifted, and her arms fell to her sides. "Itachi? Sasuke-kun?"

Color warmed their faces as they fought to catch their breaths, but still the eldest one managed to smile.

"Oi, Asami," Itachi had ignored his brother who tussled with a ball of fur.

"Itachi what are you guys doing here?" She whispered, just having remembered the hour. Sasuke stood with a triumphant grin and a cat in his hands. She gestured to the animal. "Chasing kittens?"

"Sasuke was very determined tonight." He explained sheepishly. Asami sighs as Sasuke held the wriggling kitten in both hands.

"Look nee-chan!" The raven haired boy struck out his arms, holding the cat before Asami. Her eyes bulged at the wild animal and she took a step back. "I'm just as good as big brother."

"Ahehehe. . . You sure are, Sasuke. . ." She surmised that this would be a night to remember.

The brothers hadn't left immediately, even after causing such ruckus mere paces from Asami's home. She did not bother to worry, aware of her family's heavy sleeping habits.

"What were you doing with all of these flowers?" Itachi reached to brush his digits along the bruised petals. Blood slowly churned within Asami, and set her face alight when he glanced at her.

"Nothing," She huffed, turning to glance at Sasuke, who had been defeated by his fatigue. He lay curled upon the ground with the cat in his arms, sound asleep. "Just couldn't sleep."

He plucked a petal from the grass and settled it upon the surface of the pond. "Shisui's been home more often lately. Getting more rest, I suppose."

It was only the mentioning of his name that sent her heart to erratic beats. At that moment Asami was grateful that her hair veiled her expression, even though he knew about her feelings more than she did herself.

"Have you seen him? How is he?"

Itachi knew this would pull her from behind her mask. He smiled, grasping an abandoned stem. The green extension was used to prod against the pond. "He's well. Maybe someday I will take you to visit him."

Asami's mind went off in a fantasy tangent. She shook her head of loose curls.

He glanced over when she silently protested. "What?"

"I wouldn't want to bother Shisui-san." She said quietly, a hint of a smile at her lips. Though it lessened her hopeful mood, she felt nothing but happiness for him. Asami was glad that he was well, so that was all that mattered. "He needs his rest."

Itachi took a moment to regard her silently before a smile found itself upon his face as well. He admired her selfless attitude.

"I'm certain he won't mind. He might even need your energy."

At this she perked up, looking to Itachi with shining orbs. "Really? Do you think he'd be glad to see me?"

He nodded. "I know so, Asami." Her smile grew.

There was a brief silence, and then a far off sound that was very subtle to the ear. Asami and Itachi glanced beyond their shoulders. A window exposed the glow of light.

"Asami? Asami, where are you?" She recognized it. It was her mother, voicing concern for her absent child. Asami sighed.

"I've to go!" She whispered, clambering to her feet. The girl rushed across the grass by only three paces before the boy caught her by the hand. "Nani?"

"I'll take you, tomorrow." He lessened his grip. "Alright?"

At first she was perplexed, but she found herself smiling, and nodded at his offer. "Yes. But only if I don't get in trouble."

Immediately he released her then. "Go. Hurry."

Asami took off once more, lavender curls trailing behind her.