A Little Closer

(A/N: Ok, I apologize for the wait on the chapter. I have a lot of work on my plate plus a few side projects I'm working on at the moment. Please, don't kill me. I want to live long enough to see my - nonexistent - children go to college.)

~xxx~

Pein took a deep breath, forcing his body into a relaxed state as he watched Sakura carefully. She really shouldn't be talking to Kabuto… and he shouldn't be so close to her. Kabuto stood within a hair's breath of Sakura's left arm, a notepad in one hand and a pen in the other. His posture was relaxed, shoulders slumped slightly, head bent to hear every word and his face was dangerously close to Sakura's plump lips. Loosening his tie a little, Pein stepped forward with a carefully blank face.

"Detective Reiame, so good of you to join us." Orochimaru greeted with a smirk. Keeping up appearances, Pein nodded to his superior while watching the interaction between his girlfriend and Kabuto from the corner of his eye.

"Robbery?" he asked after he noticed the jar she carried in her arms.

"Failed attempt." the Sound leader answered with a shrug of his shoulders. "I must commend the girl for running him down… but it was a rather stupid move. Thankfully, he wasn't armed." the bastard had the audacity to comment on the matter. Oh, if only Pein could just clock him and put the bastard behind bars for the rest of his miserable life.

"Is there anything you need me to do, Chief-sama?" he was trying desperately to get Sakura away from Kabuto without putting her in any form of danger. But then again… dating her was putting her in danger. Orochimaru gave a sigh as he checked his Rolex.

"Kabuto, if you're quite finished, I have a dinner to attend." Orochimaru gave a frustrated sigh while rolling his golden eyes. "You can escort Miss Haruno back to her shop." was all he said before he turned and walked to the other side of his car. Kabuto jotted down a few more words in this notepad before snapping it closed and nodding to Sakura.

"If that's all, I'll be on my way now, Miss." said the silver-haired man, pushing up his glasses with a fingertip.

"Yes, yes. Thank you very much." Sakura gushed with a bow, clutching the donation jar closer to her chest. He left a moment later, giving Pein a once-over before driving off. Sakura then turned to him with a bright smile only to have it falter when she got a good look at him. Pein was glaring after the car, watching with slit eyes as it disappeared around the corner. His posture was stiff and set, hands kept firmly in place by locked elbows and the muscles in his jaw were twitching from the stress of grinding teeth. Sakura took a small step back. Even seeing his face in profile told her that he was livid. But why was he so mad? Was it her fault that he was so angry? Was it the situation and the fact that she threw herself headlong into danger for a measly twenty bucks?

But before she could voice her concern, children - happy, smiling children - surrounded her and cheered.

~xxx~

Itachi looked at Sakura from the corner of his eye, she had been far too quiet during dinner. Yes, she spoke to Mikoto and Fugaku when they addressed her, but Sakura's attention seemed elsewhere. And when his mother inquired about her new beau, her answer was too quiet and too… careful. It was as if Sakura wasn't sure if the man in question were real or imagined. Yes, there were things to consider when speaking about Reiame Pein, like his founding of the Akatsuki and reasons for it, but Sakura didn't care about that - she knew better than most, his reasons for it. But what seemed to bother Itachi about her demeanor was that it seemed as though Sakura was second guessing her decision to date said Akatsuki founder.

"… Nii-san?" Sakura's tiny voice called as the car came to a halt at a red light. The hem of her skirt must have been near tatters of material because of how roughly she was wringing and pulling at it. Her bottom lips was caught between her teeth as her pearly whites chewed at the plump flesh. Emerald orbs glanced in his direction, hesitation evident in her gaze. Itachi sighed softly, reaching over the center console and lightly trapping her fidgeting hands in his larger one.

"How about we talk over a cup of tea, ne?" she nodded in agreement and blew out a relieved breath. It wasn't long before the car pulled into Sakura's driveway, all the way up to the garage before the engine was cut and the pair made their way to the front door. The duo went straight for the kitchen where Sakura busied herself with making tea while Itachi strode over to the cabinets to retrieve cups. Moments later, they were seated at the kitchen table with steaming cups of Earl Grey.

"I'm not exactly sure how to words this properly, nii-san." she sighed, manicured nails tapping her cup in an irritated manner. Itachi nodded softly as he took a sip.

"Take your time, Sakura," he said in a soft tone. "I'm not going anywhere any time soon." Sakura tilted her head to the side as she stared down into her cup, bottom lip between her teeth.

"I've… had some time to think about what happened today." she stated with a slight nod of her head. "I know it was stupid of me to run after that guy…" Sakura trailed off as Itachi nodded. "I just don't understand why Pein was so upset!" Itachi set is mug down with a soft clank and even softer sigh. He bowed his head while lacing his fingers together.

"Explain to me what happened after you ran after the thief." Sakura went into a detailed rant about everything that happened after the guy took off with her donation jar, stopping once or twice to drink her tea. With a heavy sigh, Sakura shook her head and rolled her emerald eyes.

"What I don't understand is, was he mad at me or the two officers on scene?" she about cried in frustration. "I mean, he didn't say anything to me… at all and he seemed to be more concerned with the two whack-jobs rolling away! I hope I'm not being paranoid or anything." Itachi gave her a hard look… one that caused Sakura to shrink back in her chair in surprise and fear.

"Sakura, he was not angry at you." he explained with a curt nod. Ok, now she was a bit freaked out.

"Ok…?" she spoke softly. "Then what-"

"Stay away from those two officers, if at all possible - avoid them altogether." Itachi interrupted, almost barking the words at her. "I can't tell you much more than that they're dangerous and you should not associate with them. If you happen to run into them somewhere, get away as soon as possible without being too obvious about it." he told her as he leaned over the table, hard eyes on hers. "Do I make myself clear?"

Gulping, Sakura nodded. "Crystal, nii-san." she knew Itachi to be an overprotective brother - he always had been since the day she met him - but this angry and stern Itachi was scary. So much so that she squirmed back in her chair as if to shy away from her brother. Itachi noticed this and felt guilty for getting angry with her. But he was more angry at the Sound bastards and what they could do to Sakura if they found out about her relationship with Pein… or if they knew just who the members of Akatsuki were. Either situation put Sakura in a bit of a pickle.

"I apologize, Sakura." Itachi spoke as he leaned back in his chair and played with his mug. "Just promise you'll take my words to heart, please?"

"You don't have to ask, nii-san. If you say they're bad then I'll keep away as much as possible."

"If anything happens, you come straight to me - even something with Pein, ok?" she nodded at his request with a smile which he returned.

~xxx~

Sakura woke up on Sunday with a start… the pounding on the front door at six in the morning was definitely a rude awakening. She swore loudly as she growled and flung her duvet off of her person. Stomping her way down the hall to the stairs in a white tank top and a pair of red, tight shorts, Sakura glared her way to the front door with a scowl.

"Who is it?" she demanded angrily as she stopped short of reaching the door.

"It's me, Sakura." a deep baritone rasped from the other side. Though his voice was muffled by the three inch thick door, Sakura knew exactly who it was. Without wasting another second, she flicked the deadbolt and unhooked the lock-chain before opening the door for her orange-haired boyfriend. And there he stood in all his regal glory wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a black t-shirt. For a second, all Sakura could do was stare. The same went for Pein. Neither had seen the other person in such a… casual appearance.

"Um…" Sakura broke the silence after a slight pause. "Do you want to come in for coffee?" he nodded softly while she stepped aside and he walked in. Pein followed her into the kitchen, trying to keep his eyes above her shoulders. Every man had this problem when it came to women in little clothing. At least he had enough respect for Sakura to look away. "So, what brings you here this early in the morning?" she asked with a yawn, stretching her arms over her head. And he couldn't help himself. Pein eyed her figure as he answered her.

"I have to go to a seminar this morning. I wanted to stop by and talk to you before I headed out." he explained, leaning against the wall by the phone as he watched her. Her figure, he noted with appreciation, was lean and taunt like a runner. Sakura's creamy skin glowed in the light as she moved with ease around the area. She had strong, long legs that tapered off to dainty ankles, a tight, well-rounded rump and flat stomach. Her chest was a little small, an A cup he assumed, but that didn't bother him in the least. That was all the ogling he could get in before she turned and asked him to retrieve mugs from the adjacent cabinet.

Now it was Sakura's turn to ogle the orange-haired lieutenant. Her eyes honed in on his strong and flexing biceps, leading to his broad shoulders. Sakura's cheeks tinted pink as her eyes traveled southward, able to see his delicious muscles ripple and flex under his tight shirt. Dear Kami, was she drooling? Because her mouth was certainly watering as her eyes landed on his backside. Normally she wasn't able to see that part of his body due to the fact that his suit jacket covered it… nor was she really looking at that before. Quickly, she turned her head away as the dinger on the coffee pot went off.

Pein set the mugs on the counter as Sakura grabbed the pot and poured it for the both of them. He thanked her and took a sip, watching her over the rim of his mug. Sakura took a long sip with closed eyes, enjoying the flavor of the dark brew. Pein set his mug down and looked Sakura in the eyes the moment her emerald orbs fluttered open again.

"I want to apologize for my behavior yesterday. I did not mean to upset you or make you believe I was angry with you." he told her with a sincerity that made Sakura beam at him. A strange sensation tugged on his chest at the sight of her smile and a nervousness settled in the pit of his stomach - like churning water and oil trying to mix. What the hell was this? He hadn't felt this sensation in three long years.

"It's ok, Pein." Sakura said as her grin faded to a serene smile. "Itachi-nii explained some things to me last night… I know you didn't mean anything by it." Pein leaned against the counter (this seemed to be his favorite position, Sakura guessed) and gave her a soft smile of his own.

"I do believe further explanations are in order." he told her as she leaned closer to hear him speak. "I'm sure Itachi told you that Kabuto and Orochimaru aren't people you should talk to?" he questioned, his gaze turning serious. He wanted to tell her the truth… but the less she knew, the safer she was. He had to doctor this up, so he could get the point across and keep her safe. "The reason for this is because they are apart of Sound… and if they found out about us, there will be trouble for you. I only want to keep you safe." Pein watched her expression closely, noting that she stood her full height and glared viciously with eyes narrowed to slits.

"I hope you're fucking kidding." she swore with a growl and crossed her arms.

"I am not kidding, Sakura, and it is in your best interest to stay as far away from them as possible." Pein clarified, walking around the counter. She turned to face him as his large hands came up and were placed on her bare shoulders. "That is why I was so angry yesterday. I know you had no idea who they were and I shouldn't have treated you the way I did. But when I saw who you were with, the only think I could think about was what they have been involved with and what they've done to people, to us… our families."

"I understand, Pein." Sakura said as it dawned on her just what he was talking about… and it felt like a blow to the gut just thinking of what else those men could do. So, to show that she was completely fine, Sakura stepped closer and wrapped her arms around his midsection, hugging the orange-haired man tightly. Pein returned the gesture with his arms around her shoulders and nose buried in her hair. After a few moments, Sakura pulled back and looked up into his hazel eyes. "When is your seminar over?"

"I should be home by seven. Why?"

She smiled a little more. "Would you like to come over for dinner?" her smile only grew as he nodded in the positive to her question.

"I'll see you around seven then." Sakura walked him to the door after they finished their coffee and gave him a goodbye kiss on the cheek. She watched him drive off from the door, waving as he passed her house before picking up the morning paper off the steps and returning to the kitchen for breakfast.

(A/N: I am so sorry it took me forever to get this up. The holidays came, I got busy and then sick! Sorry!)