He stood then, and for a moment she thought he would leave.

Instead he unbuckled his belt.

Her eyes widened. Then she realized he was just pulling out his tucked shirt.

He unbuttoned the shirt and set it and the belt on the bed. The women in class hadn't lied, Itachi was like chiseled marble. His cheeks reddened at her gaze and he returned to kneeling beside her leg, ducking his head.

From her height, she could see his back and his scars. One of them even reached his chest. She hadn't seen that the other night.

She held the robe with one hand and reached out with the other. With shaking fingers, she touched it.

And then his fingers touched hers.

She stiffened. It took everything inside of her to prevent dragging his hand to her breast like she did with any lover she'd ever taken. Just as quick as they said, "This feels—" their hands were placed upon her chest. From there she'd let loose a moan, regardless if the squeeze was pleasurable or not, just to stop them from coming to the realization she'd tricked them under their own sheets and that she'd be leaving the moment they fell asleep.

His touch was warm though, warm and gentle. He followed the scar from her knee to her ankle, as she rubbed across the one on his shoulder. It felt like her own. Just like them.

"I'm so sorry, Sakura," he whispered, pausing there, thumb rubbing the spot they'd put a nail in to pin her bone in place.

"For what?"

"What happened? I'm so sorry." His hand left her skin, leaving coldness in the wake of warmth.

She knelt to be eye level with him, making sure to keep the robe in place. She touched his cheek. "You did nothing wrong. You did everything by the book."

"I should have swerved; I should have—"

She squeezed his cheek. "I was there, watching the road with you. There was nothing, no sign. He came over that hill in our lane going eighty. There was nothing you could have done. Nothing."

His eyes searched hers.

She closed the space between them and wrapped him in a hug, letting go of silk. He wrapped his arms around her as well.

The warmth of his chest penetrated her robe, filling her body with warmth. She rubbed at his back with care, feeling the ripples of his skin. It was a nice hug, a long one. She hadn't had one in a long time.

He gave a squeeze before pulling away first. He tapped her on the nose with his index finger, "I think you just wanted more touch time than me."

She wriggled her nose at him, and gave a smile, glad to be back on lighthearted topics. "Maybe."

"Caught you in the act."

"Mhmm," She said with a wink. "Are you going to prosecute me, Mr. Lawyer?"

He returned her play at his profession with a wolfish smile, "I could."

"Oh?" She licked her lips. "Is that so?"

He leaned in close. "I think I've gathered enough evidence."

"Circumstantial, it won't hold in court." Her abdomen tingled.

"It could, you should probably settle." His hot breath fell upon neck.

"Oh? But if you are really counting, you got a full view, so unless I get a dick pic."

His face flushed, but his eyes narrowed at her dare. "Oh, really. According to Sasuke, you got the ass right. So, does that mean I get all the tit for tats?"

Sakura warmed, no way in hell. He'd probably just get disgusted.

She rose from kneeling, grabbing the hem to hold it in place to her mid thigh. "Thirty seconds."

"That hug lasted a minute."

"Thirty or we go to court."

He smirked up at her and turned his attention to her leg. He used both hands to trace her scars; warmth spread from his touch.

She had been counting to thirty in her head, but then he followed a scar upwards. The second his hands slipped under her robe she lost count. Everything inside of her burned. He followed the scar to the upper third of her thigh.

His gaze raised to her face, eyes dilated, and his hands encased her leg and slid down back into tame territory. "You are beautiful."

She scoffed at him. "Now you're being a casanova. I'm not beautiful." she motioned to the drawing pad on her desk. "I'm beautiful without the scarring. To be honest, I don't know why I can't be happy with one of the drawings I've already done." She motioned then to the floor littered with paper.

Warmth left her calf at his release.

He grabbed one of the crumpled drawings and opened it as he stood.

She wanted to snatch it away, but as if reading her mind he held it above her reach as he inspected it.

"Well, that's it. You don't exist without the scarring. It's what makes us who we are. That woman on the paper doesn't exist. And you're far prettier than she'll ever be."

Sakura could only raise a brow.

"Softer, curvier, and fleshier too."

Heat rose from her chest to her head.

"Although your pose could be better." Itachi flicked the paper. "I was in photography for a while, and did a class on composition. If you'd like, I could help."

Allow Itachi to position her nude? It was like her heart stopped, and in its place the tingling in her stomach moved much lower and throbbed. This was flirt territory, right? Well, "I could really use an A."

He smiled down at her. "Then I'm happy to help. Do you have a camera?"

Sakura grabbed her phone from her desk, hands trembling. She unlocked it and set up the camera before passing it to him.

"Does it need to capture your full figure?"

"Most." What had she just agreed to?

"Make yourself decent," he turned around to face the door of her room.

Ignoring the increasing pace of the throb, she untied her robe and sat back on the corner of her bed. She crossed her legs, her left tucked under her right mostly hidden. She wrapped one arm around her breasts and set another on top of her crotch. She was close to the original position she'd been in.

She took a deep breath. Her bravery poured out of her at each passing moment. Now or never. "Decent."

Itachi turned back around.

Her palms clammed up under his gaze.

Before walking towards her, he held the phone up and snapped a picture. He extended the image for her preview.

"I don't see anything wrong with it," Sakura said. It was very similar to an image she'd seen in the actual text book.

"It could be better. You'll see the difference." He then touched her good leg, grabbing the lower thigh around the knee. He lifted. "Move this down and set the other one on top."

"I don't want my scars -"

"Trust me."

She held Itachi's gaze for a moment, and then did as he asked.

His gaze didn't move from her face as she readjusted, crossing her legs the other way and letting the tips of his fingers drag upon her skin.

"Now," he said, tapping the arm wrapped around her breasts, "drop the hand."

Sakura sputtered, "What?"

"A good photo means using all the best assets." Itachi's cheeks went pink towards the end.

"Other people cover their boobs."

He raised a brow. "But I'm sure they weren't good ones."

Sakura sputtered again. What was he insinuating with that?

"Trust me, you want a good photo."

"I don't want porn."

Itachi laughed, "It won't be porn, I promise."

He kept his gaze on her face.

She lowered her hand to her lap, watching his eyes. His gaze never fell, his hand staying with her arm. His fingers trailed to her elbow before giving a tug.

"Place your hand partially behind you, like you are using it to lean on. But it needs to be bent just a bit. Should be about a hand and a half away from your bottom and off to the side."

She adjusted her hand.

"Good," he stepped back then and as he did his eyes scanned over her body.

Warmth spread from her chest to her cheeks and ears. She'd never been this bare before anyone before.

But Itachi's expression of concentration didn't change, nor did he flush.

"Straighten your back, and look off to the left and be bored."

She found it too hard to look away, but she did move her head to the left and stared at Itachi from the corner of her eyes.

"Don't slouch, but don't be so stiff. Your shoulders are not part of your back, relax them."

The hand in her lap clenched tighter but she attempted to loosen her shoulders.

"Almost, now I really need you to look off to the left, and look bored. There's a lot of tension in your neck, relax."

Easy for him to say. She ripped her eyes away from him, and stared at the corner of the room.

"Your neck is so tense it looks like it will snap."

"Yeah, yeah." She tilted her head left and right and rolled her shoulders. At least she felt a bit better that way.

"Tilt your head a bit more back and look a little bit more back to the right."

She adjusted.

The phone made a snap as it took the picture. "Perfect."

Her gaze found him again, and he sat next to her on the bed and extended the phone. "Which one would you prefer to draw? A," her initial photo. "Or B," his finger swiped, to reveal the new picture.

Well, obviously Itachi had gotten an A+ in photography. Her eyes weren't even immediately drawn to her perk breasts, but to the angle of the arm. Itachi had changed locations before taking the photo, focusing more on the arm casted out. It caught the eyes, made the gaze follow the line of the arm to the shoulders and face. After that, yes, her eyes went to her breasts and belly button, and then at last to her leg. It still looked horrifying, but Sakura's gaze went to the casual expression on her face and back to the leg, it looked natural. It looked like her.

"Hm?"

Sakura looked up and into Itachi's eyes, he was waiting for a response. She flushed, "B."

She looked back down, B was infinitely better. B was her. She looked back up and into Itachi's eyes. All the imperfections, not beautiful, but her. "Thank you."

He gave a nod and stood. "I'm glad I could be of help."

She followed suit, standing. It was only when his face flushed, and eyes stared much lower than her chest did she remember she didn't have clothes on. Shit.

She whipped around, snatched the silk robe from the bed, and held it before her as she turned around. Great, well he'd seen it all now.

His eyes were not looking at the ceiling, they were definitely still on her. The silence felt deafening.

He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry."

"I'm the one who is sorry. I just mooned you with a ugly ass and gave the show. I'm the one who should be apologizing." She laughed, clutching the robe with shaking hands. Goodness he must think her so hideous.

"Nonsense, to be honest Sakura, I've found no part of you ugly."

Her face warmed, what a nice lie.

He bit his lip, before continuing on. "Do you find me so?"

She blinked rapidly. "No, not at all, you're beautiful Itachi." Great nothing like calling a man beautiful. She ducked her head, looking at the floor and her bare feet. "I'm quite jealous. You wear your scars much better than me. "

His hand reached out and touched her chin, bringing her eyes up to him. "And yet here I am believing the contrary."

Silence fell upon them, her eyes searched his gaze for any sign of a lie or joke, but his expression remained solemn.

He was first to break the silence. "May I?"

"May you what?"

His face turned back to crimson and he took a step forward, closing the distance between them. His hands fell upon her bare waist. "Touch?"

"You want to feel up my lumpy ass?" Sakura asked with a bitter laugh. But being so close to his chest, heat dropped to her abdomen and she became daring. Tit for tat. She let the robe drop to the floor between them. "You know what. Sure, but I get to feel your lumpy abs."

"Deal," Itachi's voice rumbled. "Me first."

His hands slid from her waist to her backside. His hands were warm, smooth.

She ducked her head. Shit, how gross she must feel. Why had she agreed to this?

"I'm a bit disappointed, it doesn't feel that lumpy. I'm not sure we have a deal. I think you lied to get an ab touch."

Sakura glared up only to look into his smoldering gaze. Warmth spread everywhere.

And then he gave her a squeeze.

She gasped in surprise, and while her mouth was open he took claim of it with his own.

Her hands found the back of his head with ease, and when he seperated for a moment she tugged him back and kissed him.

Itachi pulled her into him. Her bare chest pressed against his.

She could feel his arousal and the fact that he found her appealing, even as she was, spurred the throbbing inside her.

Her hands dropped to his pant buttons.