It wasn't unusual for Itachi for little gifts and extras to be pushed into his hand or dropped into his basket at the market. Since he was a child, the old ladies had always liked his polite demeanour and as he had grown older, they had also become increasingly fond of his appearance. And since he and Sakura had moved in together, it felt like the gift-giving had increased tenfold because the old ladies adored Sakura almost as much as he did.

So when the old ladies had pressed a little bundle of mistletoe into his hands one morning, Itachi only protested half-heartedly. Years of experience had taught him that he'd never really succeed at turning them down and they knew that, smirking and giggling at him as he closed his fingers around the mistletoe. Itachi forced a polite smile as he left, only letting himself sigh when he'd left their sight.

Sakura snorted when she saw it but she still suggested he put it up for their party, and Itachi had obeyed, hanging it up at the entrance. She declared it the perfect decoration, and after she had kissed him soundly underneath it, Itachi wasn't going to say otherwise. But when she giggled at the dazed look on his face, he resolved to get her back.

Unfortunately, it was easier said than done. The rest of the day of the day was spent preparing for the party and although they had intended it to be a casual get-together with their friends, it had turned into something a little more chaotic once the guests had arrived. It wasn't entirely unexpected, knowing their friends, but between the alcohol and the games and the food and the other duties of hosting, Itachi found it very hard to pin his girlfriend down.

Any time he tried to catch Sakura's eye, someone else interrupted. First it was Ino, calling her to finish her drink. Then it was Naruto, urging her to join the game. Then Sasuke, badgering her into sitting down and enjoying the party. Then Shisui, for another round of drinks. Then Hinata, for a private conversation. Then Sasuke again, this time with knowing look and a smirk as he baited Sakura into retelling a story about one of their genin team adventures. Then–

Then Itachi managed to intercept Sakura as she emerged from the bathroom, and he double-checked and triple-checked that everyone else was occupied and definitely not going to interrupt before he grabbed her hand and took her over to the mistletoe. Sakura, her face flushed with laughter and alcohol, followed willingly, though she blinked up at him with mild confusion just before he cupped her face tenderly with both hands and lowered his lips to hers. He had only meant it to be a brief kiss but Sakura immediately wrapped her arms around his neck, tilting her head at a well-practiced angle to deepen the kiss. And Itachi was hardly going to complain, so he slid one hand to the back of her neck to pull her closer.

It was just as his other hand crept down to her waist that someone – Shisui – whistled loudly and Itachi was reminded that they were, unfortunately, not alone. He managed to pull away despite Sakura's secure hold at his neck and her little grumble and took the chance to admire the dazed, half-lidded expression on her face. But she wasn't immune to their guests' scrutiny and began to blush as the situation sank in. "What was that for?" she whispered.

Itachi hesitated, his cheeks beginning to warm. In hindsight, he could see how unexpected and out of character his actions were, especially since his motivation was rather… flimsy. "I wanted to kiss you under the mistletoe," he mumbled.

Sakura burst into laughter, and so did everyone else once she stopped laughing long enough to tell them.

belated merry christmas/happy new year/happy holidays! I was inspired to come back to Naruto and this fic after reading through all your comments and also after reading silverfootsteps' beautiful stories - highly recommend their work. thank you for your patience and support!