AN: Your patience knows no bounds. I am so grateful for you guys! I also have the next chapter written already, so this time I can stand by my promise to not keep you waiting too long!
Chapter 8: Shifting Sands (3)
Sakura was pulled from the depths of her novel by the insistent ringing of her doorbell. She wasn't expecting anyone, and the packages she had ordered weren't due to arrive for at least another week. She was considering ignoring the doorbell in favour of finishing the scene change her editor had suggested but then decided to at least check the cameras to see who was outside.
A glance at her clock told her she was due for a short break and a bite to eat, anyway. Stretching her arms, she got up and padded to the intercom monitor.
Itachi-san?
He was standing outside, a large white paper bag in his hands. She released the lock on the door before he could press the doorbell again. He stepped inside, his face as serious as normal.
"Itachi-san?" she said as she greeted him in the foyer. He had two bags, not one. And one of them smelled distinctly of food.
"You wouldn't answer your phone," he said in reply to the question she had not yet gotten a chance to answer. "Did you eat?" He lifted the more fragrant of the two bags, as he slipped his feet into the house slippers she offered him. Sakura could have kissed him. Now that she thought about it, she was starving.
"Sorry, I was writing," she said sheepishly, leading him into the kitchen.
"Hn," he responded, but it sounded like 'I know'.
Sakura smiled.
"That smells like kung pao chicken," she murmured approvingly, her eyes glued to the bag as he lifted out the containers. Kung pao chicken and fluffy white rice. And beer. She retrieved two pairs of chopsticks from a kitchen drawer and placed them on the counter.
Yes.
"Itachi-san," she crooned happily, beaming at him. He didn't answer, but she could tell he was as pleased by her reaction as she was by his gift. And speaking of gifts… "What's in the other bag?" she asked.
"Eat first," he commanded, pushing her portion towards her. When she looked like she was going to argue, he gave her a firm look and took a seat at one of the bar stools at the counter. Sakura followed suit. She knew she looked shabby right now, but she couldn't really bring herself to care. It was just Itachi, and although he looked as though he had just left the office, he didn't seem put out by her comfy house clothes.
As a matter of fact, he had discreetly loosened his tie at some point.
"Itadakimasu," she said happily, reaching for her chopsticks. She was conscious of the fact that he waited for her to take a bite before he started eating. Sakura groaned in absolute pleasure. The food was still steaming hot, and it was absolutely delicious.
They ate in silence, both finishing more than half of their portions before Sakura spoke.
"Where did you get this?" she asked. He didn't answer, but his aura smiled. "Be like that then," she groused when it was clear that he was not going to provide an answer to her question. Not that she cared right now. She finished eating before he did - she had been pretty ravenous - and reached for a beer.
It hissed invitingly when she opened it, and she took a long, satisfying drink of the cold beverage.
Fucking hell, that had been good.
Itachi watched her out of the corner of his eyes while he finished eating. Once again, she got the sense that he was smiling, albeit imperceptibly. With anyone else, she would probably feel a little self-conscious. If she had been dating him for real, if she had feelings for him, then she would have probably eaten a lot slower. Toned down her actions and reactions a bit.
But this was Itachi.
They were… friends. Of a sort.
Regardless, she was comfortable, and she didn't want to overthink it and ruin it. For once in her life, she didn't want to dissect their relationship until she messed it up. She watched as he almost daintily finished eating, and then raised a brow while he lifted the last of his rice to his lips.
"So, now can I see what is in the second bag?" she asked impatiently and a bit impishly, grinning all the while. She liked gifts. What girl didn't?
He laughed a little in surprise and choked on his rice, quickly covering his mouth to avoid spraying her. Sakura grinned, taking that as consent, and hopped from her stool. She rinsed her hands quickly and rounded the kitchen counter to dig eagerly into the other bag.
There were two boxes inside, as well as two smaller paper bags. The larger of the two boxes was clearly a shoebox, and Sakura reached for that one first. She opened it and peeled back the paper to reveal a pair of sleek white Yukiyuki sneakers.
They were gorgeous.
The other, slimmer box contained an ultra-soft white Paradaisu cropped crew-necked T-shirt that rustled pleasantly when she touched it, due to the packing tissue folded inside it. It had the PARADAISU typographic logo embroidered once into the slightly ribbed crew neck. One of the smaller bags had a pair of stretchy, black Sengak jeans and a white Sengak baseball cap, and the other contained a pair of soft, white ankle-socks.
He had even thought of the socks.
She was really pleased. She could already tell that they would fit. It stood to reason since they had shared measurements for this exact purpose, but she was touched all the same.
"Suri thought we should coordinate for the trip," he said by way of explanation. That made sense. Somehow, his motivations did not lessen her pleasure at all. It was one thing for his publicist to suggest the idea. It was another thing entirely for him to take her up on it.
Then again, knowing that he had the control to make the clothing choices probably made the concept more attractive to him. But then he had excellent taste.
"Thank you," Sakura said, passing her hand over the soft material of the T-shirt. She could already tell it would become a favourite. "For the airport?" she asked.
"Hn," he returned, leaning his head back and rotating it until the bones cracked. He looked pretty tired.
"Do you want another beer?" Sakura offered, rising and heading to the fridge. She slid a can towards him and headed into the living room to collapse on the couch. He followed suit, loosening his tie even further and slipping off his jacket.
"Has your writing been going well?" he asked, leaning his head back against the couch and closing his eyes. She'd seen that look on his face before.
The night he had asked her out for ramen.
And so she purposely lowered her voice as she told him about her chapter.
Itachi woke up sometime later to a soft electric hum, cool darkness and a light, feminine scent.
He was not in his apartment.
Had he fallen asleep at Sakura's house? He pulled in a deep breath and sat up straight on the couch, looking groggily around the living room. He was alone, but there was light coming from down the hall. He fought uncharacteristic lethargy; he really didn't want to move.
He absently wondered if she would mind if he slept a bit longer.
He really was so tired.
The next time he woke up, it was to the insistent sound of his phone vibrating as his morning alarm went off. He absently felt for it and blindly shut the alarm off, realizing only then that he was still at Sakura's house. At some point during the night, he had shifted positions to lie flat on the plush couch, and at some point during the night, Sakura had covered him with a light, but warm blanket.
It smelled like her.
He sat up rapidly.
This was highly unusual.
Indecision coiled in his stomach. This was hardly the first time he had slept over at a woman's house, but he usually woke up in bed with them. Not alone on the couch. This was a first, and he had no idea what to do. It still felt strange to sneak out on his own, but he could hardly go looking to see if Sakura was awake. It was only five in the morning, after all.
He quickly sent her a message.
ㅡ Thank you for letting me sleep. See you soon.
He sent it before he could rethink it, and then let himself out as swiftly as he could.
Two days passed before he saw her again.
He tried to ignore the feeling in his stomach when he saw her heading towards him with her luggage. He knew it was caused by seeing her in clothing he had bought for her, but he tried not to think too hard about it.
This wasn't supposed to be one of those relationships.
It really didn't help that she was beaming at him while she approached.
Or that everything fit her perfectly. Even though she was wearing a coat to ward off the late-year Konoha chill, he could tell. Their outfits were more suited to Suna because that was where they were headed. However, until then, it was still pretty cold.
"Ohayou," she chirped as she neared him. He reached for her luggage and put it in the boot of his car for her.
"Hello," he returned with a small smile. "Ready?" She nodded in response, sliding into the front seat. They made the trip to the airport in relative silence, choosing to listen to the radio instead. Sakura texted on and off, browsed her SNS, and made little observations about the other motorists.
Itachi mainly thought about trying not to think about the feeling in his stomach (or was it his chest?) that still had yet to subside.
At the airport, he saw quite a few familiar faces. It stood to reason because of their mutually shared reasons for boarding a flight to Suna, but it made Itachi suddenly nervous about being with Sakura in front of them.
"We'll be fine," Sakura said reassuringly, flashing him a grin. "We're friends," she said. The words eased his discomfort. He took a fortifying breath as he stepped out of the car.
'Let the games begin.'
He had checked them in online previously, so all they really had to do was print off their baggage tags at the kiosks and check in their luggage. He took care of this task for the both of them, somehow managing to keep his hand either at or near the small of her back the entire time. During the process, several more of their acquaintances showed up, and Sakura chatted naturally with them without ever leaving his side.
At some point, Itachi relaxed into the pretense.
Loathe as he was to admit it, he enjoyed it, even.
There was a lot he liked about Sakura.
He liked that she didn't require him to speak more than he was naturally inclined to. He liked that she didn't feel the need to constantly talk to him. He liked the ease with which she moved around him; it relaxed him. He liked the uncomplicated nature of their relationship. He liked the way she smelled, and the soft, silky-looking hair at her nape. He liked the slope of her neck, and the smattering of freckles across her shoulders.
He schooled his thoughts before they could descend into more dangerous territory.
He took her hand, wheeling his carry-on with the other hand as they proceeded towards the security screening area. She kept her hand in his, and leaned her head against his shoulder as they stood in line. He was conscious of the looks they received. Their attire and manner screamed that they were a couple. He was well aware of the fact that they looked more than suitable together.
"So the rumours were true." Itachi turned at the sound of the familiar female voice and saw one of their mutual acquaintances standing in line behind them. He gave her the barest hint of a smile.
"Hn."
"Loquacious as usual, huh?" Ruka said with a grin, leaning against her wheeled suitcase. Sakura turned then, looking at Ruka with interest. The Leafnet star dipped her head in a casual bow. "Nagasaki Ruka," she said by way of introduction. "Onegaishimasu."
"-shimasu," Sakura said, returning the greeting. "Haruno Sakura-desu."
"Oh, I know," Ruka replied with a speculative look. "I follow Itachi-kun on Leafnet. He doesn't ever post who he dates, so you must be something special."
"I wasn't even aware he dated at all," Sakura quipped, giving Itachi a teasing look. "Have you been holding out on me, Itachi-kun?" Itachi didn't answer, but then he didn't need to; the two women launched into easy, casual conversation. At one point, he lost track of what they were talking about, and was instead completely engrossed by how beautifully different Sakura was from him.
She was… vibrant.
Her eyes glittered with enthusiasm and mischief when she spoke. The difference between now and that incident with their mothers was stunning, to say the least. If this was how she was when away from them, then he hoped their paths would never cross again.
And her hand never left his.
At one point, she moved in front of him and leaned her back against his chest while she chatted with Ruka, and Itachi was convinced that he had never smelled hair so pleasantly fragrant before. The intensity of his desire to wrap his hand around her waist increased exponentially the longer she leaned against him like this.
Before long, or it might have been ages, they were boarding.
Their seats were relatively far from anyone they knew intimately on the chartered flight, so in a matter of moments, the feeling that they were alone descended.
"Well," Sakura said after the safety presentation was completed. "That was easier than expected." He knew instinctively that she was referring to the entire facade between the car and now.
"Hn," Itachi returned with a small smile as he withdrew his earphones from their case. He wordlessly offered one to her, not even realizing what he was doing until she accepted it and stuck it in her ear.
"You were right, I think. We are quite compatible. At one point, it stopped feeling like a pretense. I just… feel so relaxed around you," she mused, leaning her head against his shoulder and winding her arm through his. It was strange. He couldn't describe how he was feeling as 'relaxed' at all, but with each passing moment, he became more and more convinced that they were indeed compatible.
If even as mere friends.
And the thought struck him at that precise moment that he wanted more.
Itachi was forced to admit, at some point during the day, that he genuinely enjoyed doing things for Sakura. He was well aware that he was quite traditional, and he was also well aware that she didn't need him to do anything for her, but he still liked it. He liked taking care of her luggage, he liked ensuring that she was okay, and that she had enough to eat, and he liked shielding her from passing travellers. He enjoyed helping her into the vehicle, and holding her things for her while she fastened her seatbelt.
Most of all, he liked that she let him. Even though it was all a farce based on what their contract stated, he also liked that she leaned into him and held his hand.
The ease of it was inherently relaxing, and their similarities in social class removed the tension he and Mei had suffered through. Tension that had ultimately broken them. Itachi was not of a classist mentality; his love for Mei had proven that, however he had to admit that dating someone within his social environment drastically reduced the external pressure and negativity. That said, he was conscious that this element of acceptance was only a positive feature, because if he and Sakura did not have the type of relationship they had, it would not be enough for him.
Not nearly.
He knew that now. There was something about her that had caught his interest from that very first evening at Inuzuka Kiba's wedding. Something about her had been different from all the other perfectly suitable socialites in his orbit. Now he had an idea of why after getting to know her more, but he still wasn't perfectly certain what about her had really convinced him to pursue this relationship.
When they arrived in the lobby of the Ichiban Hotel in Suna, Itachi ushered Sakura over to get a drink while he checked in. His mind was completely occupied even as he provided his identification and details for their room.
"Here you go," the receptionist said with a smile, handing Itachi his room keycard. He accepted it, sliding it into his wallet for the time being, while he waited for her to prepare Sakura's room key. The receptionist looked up at him expectantly. "Is there something else I can do for you?"
"My… girlfriend's room key," Itachi prompted, raising one eyebrow. The receptionist's brow furrowed in slight confusion.
"Ah, I think there must be some misunderstanding," she said, her fingers clattering over her keyboard as she checked something on her computer screen. "Reservation for Uchiha Itachi and Haruno Sakura, VIP Sky Suite… is this not correct?"
"Were two suites not prepared? We reserved rooms via Haruka Suri," Itachi clarified. The receptionist gave him a polite smile.
"Only one suite was booked," she explained, bowing politely. "I apologise for the inconvenience." Itachi frowned. This was unexpected. He handed his credit card to the receptionist.
"Please book another suite for Haruno-san. We were not expecting to share rooms," he stated. The receptionist gave him a smile and another bow before typing on her keyboard.
"Let me see what suites are still available," she said. After a few moments, however, it was becoming swiftly apparent to Itachi that she was not having much luck. "My apologies, Uchiha-san, however we are completely booked, due to the Ichiban White Festival. The VIP Sky Suite contains a large living area that can be separated into two rooms, separated by a door. The bathroom would have to be shared, but our hospitality staff would be happy to make this conversion for you and prepare another bed for Haruno-san. Is this option suitable for you?" the receptionist asked.
Itachi blinked in mounting frustration and sucked in a slow breath.
"I will speak to Haruno-san," he said, taking back his card.
"Please take your time," the receptionist said, bowing again with an apologetic smile. Itachi gave her a curt nod and then strode across the lobby to where Sakura was sitting, sitting her drink. She looked exhausted. Konoha was a long way from Suna, and the airports had been packed with tourists escaping from the early winter temperatures. She looked up and smiled when he approached.
"Itachi-san," she said. "I got you a beer," she said, offering him a cold glass with a perfect draft before he could answer her. "Are we all set?" Itachi took a sip of the cold beverage before responding.
"There seems to be a bit of an error. Haruka-san only booked one suite. They can convert it to hold two beds, but it is most likely going to take some time. The hotel is completely booked because of the party," he explained, frustration pulling his brows together.
"That shouldn't be a problem. At least, it isn't for me," Sakura said after a moment. "Honestly, I'm too tired to think about it right now. How long will it take for them to set up? We could grab a bite to eat in the meantime, and then sort out the room issue tomorrow," she suggested.
A gentle tension settled in Itachi's chest; a sort of niggling dissatisfaction mixed with unfamiliar anxiety. He took a long draw of his beer, almost halving the glass, before nodding at her.
"Good. What are you in the mood for?" she asked, getting up and looping the long, skinny strap of her purse over her shoulder. Itachi signalled for someone to come over and attend to their luggage.
"Tonkatsu," he answered simply.
"I'll stand in line while you sort the luggage out," Sakura replied with a small smile, her fingers trailing casually over his forearm. Her neutral expression made Itachi painfully aware that she didn't even realize that she had done it, and he was grateful that she turned and started making her way to the food court before the heat burning at his chest made its way up his neck.
And that's it for this chapter! Thank you guys so much for your patience! I had written myself into a corner and then suffered from the worst case of creative exhaustion I've ever experienced. Welp. You guys have been a constant motivation, though! I love you all~