Just Call Me Cinderella

Chapter Six

Sakura mindlessly doodled in the margin of her language notes. It was her one night off and all the girls had piled into her house along with Naruto to study. It was quiet and honestly Sakura was happy that they wanted to see her but she was just not feeling studious.

Sasuke had started acting differently toward her. Less like a jerk and more like a real person. Ever since that night she helped him study for his test. She couldn't help but wonder what had made his attitude shift so much. He had always been a jerk and it had gotten even worse since he started high school.

"Earth to Sakura!" Sakura jumped as a pillow hit her in the face.

"What the heck?" She turned around angrily to see Tenten and Ino giving her questioning looks.

"We've just been trying to figure out this question and we were hoping you knew the answer but you seem out of it."

"You okay Sakura?" Naruto leaned forward from his position on the floor across from her.

"Yeah, I'm just tired. I've been working a lot so my mind is just not really up for studying right now."

Ino nodded. "We understand. We'll finish reviewing and you can listen if you want then we'll get out of your hair."

Ino beamed at her and Sakura smiled in return. She really had the best friends in the world and was so lucky to have support group like them. She re-situated in her seat and leaned on her arm as she watched Tenten and Ino read through their review.

"Tell me again what the next step is." Itachi looked at Sakura with concern in his eyes and leaned against the wall.

"The next step is I don't know, making it official? Telling her you love her?" Sakura furrowed her eyebrows as she crossed her arms and looked at him in the eye. They were in the garden room she had sat in to feel better a few weeks ago.

"No, I meant like how do I get to that next step." Itachi fidgeted and Sakura fought a smile at his uncomfortable demeanor. "What I mean is how do I make it special? We're already officially together but I'm not the most romantic guy in the world. I just need some help with this step."

Sakura sank into the couch and looked out the window at twilight setting in. She thought about it for a few minutes. How to be romantic? She had no freaking clue. She had never dated anyone before and even the guys that she liked were not really romantics. When she used to dream about going on dates with them her dreams were all tailored to her fantasies. She had no idea what Izumi liked.

"What is she like?" Sakura jumped as Sasuke entered the room and asked the exact question that she was about to.

Itachi turned wide eyed to look at his brother. Sasuke sauntered into the room and took an empty seat. "You want to help me?"

Sasuke nodded. "Sure. You are my brother you know."

Itachi turned and made eye contact with Sakura then took the seat next to her on the couch. Sakura watched Sasuke as he just started lazily at Itachi. "Um, I should probably go work on the upstairs."

"Absolutely not." The brothers spoke in unison and Sakura immediately shrank into the couch. Sasuke flushed ever so slightly as Itachi smirked.

"All right. To answer your question Izumi is caring. She wants to always help everyone that she can. Especially those that are hurt or less fortunate than herself. She is insanely funny. She loves the color purple and she's really smart."

"I see." Sasuke sat forward so his elbows were perched on his knees with his fingers threaded under his nose.

The room was silent except for the birds chirruping outside. Sakura studied the two brothers. From what she understood Itachi was a very nice guy. He obviously had a bad reputation for being a philandering rich boy but after she got to know him she realized that he was actually sweet and cared a lot about his family. Was it possible that Sasuke was the same way?

Sakura shook her head and practically collapsed into the comfy back of the chair. Itachi snickered at her and he tried not to notice. There was no way that the brothers were anything alike. Itachi was like a prince and Sasuke was just a beast.

"I think for someone like Izumi romance is found in connection with the person."

"Go on." Itachi sat a little straighter and a ghost of a smile played at his lips. Sakura had never seen him so happy to be talking with her brother. It was possible that he loved his brother very much and was relishing in the opportunity to bond with him.

"I think you should take her on a walk down the river front. It'll be chilly since it's slowly climbing through November so twilight would be a good time. It'll give the two of you an excuse to get closer to one another. She also seems like the type to enjoy fairy lights and I know that there are some down there wrapped in the trees."

Sakura's mouth fell open. She could perfectly imagine a scene of her walking down the water front with someone she was interested in. The wind would blow and she would shiver a bit. Causing him to put his jacket around her and then his arm. As they turned the bend the two of them would see hundreds of small twinkling lights illuminating the trees and the water beautifully. Her imaginary man morphed into a tall, pale man with striking features and black hair that stuck up in every way.

Sakura closed her eyes tight and willed the image away.

"That sounds perfect. How did you come up with something like that?" Itachi's somewhat snarky tone that he usually had around Sasuke vanished and he was in awe of his brother.

Sasuke shrugged. "Honestly, I'm kind of a romantic. I think if you really love someone just spending time with them is the best way to be with them. And i knew the lights were down there because Naruto strung them all up for his parents anniversary and was too lazy to take them down."

Sakura snorted at that. She had totally forgotten that at the beginning of the summer Naruto was tasked with creating a beautiful fairyland for his parents but it had been so much work he decided to gift it to the city. It really had increased the appeal of the river these days but she couldn't help but laugh at her best friend.

"Well I thank you. I think that Izumi will absolutely love it." Itachi smiled at Sasuke who nodded and very discreetly looked over in Sakura's direction. Itachi's smile morphed into a smirk and a plan was taking form in his mind.

"If it was you courting a woman little brother what would you do?"

Sasuke turned to his brother with confusion in his face. "I am courting a woman."

"Yes, yes, I know you are dating Karin but if you were dating someone new what would you do?"

Sasuke's gaze dropped from Itachi and very slowly raised to Sakura who was watching the scene curiously. What would he do if he was dating someone?

"I think to tell her that I was interested I would dance with her. I don't dance so it would be a total surprise but I would incorporate what I was trying to say through the dance. Words are hard for me." Sasuke dropped his eyes to the floor as the slightest blush dusted his cheeks.

"Could I get a demonstration or something? I'm afraid I'm not following what you're getting at."

Sakura turned to look at Itachi. What was he doing? Saying that would make Sasuke use her to demonstrate his point and that was going to be unbelievably awkward. Sasuke cleared he throat and stood up.

"Okay."

He moved forward slowly and reached out his hand toward Sakura. Her heart was pounding in her chest as it loomed in front of her. Was this really happening? Was Sasuke really asking to touch her willingly? Her? The maid of his household? The girl he had forgotten existed for the last three years?

"Sakura will you please help me out?"

Sasuke looked as nervous as she felt and she shakily placed her hand in his and he lightly pulled her up. Itachi relaxed back into the couch and folded his arms as Sasuke swung Sakura around and gently placed his hand on her waist.

Her heart sped up and she felt a little light headed. Sure, she hadn't crushed on Sasuke in years but he was still one of the most handsome men she had ever seen. Not to mention that after their study session she was starting to see him in a different light.

"First we would dance slowly." Sasuke started swaying back and forth. His eyes never left Sakura's and she was sure to fall into the inky depths.

"Then I would pull her closer." He did just that and Sakura could suddenly smell an overwhelmingly woody scent.

"Next I would change the positioning of our arms." He then took her hands and moved them so they would be wrapped gently around his neck. When he finished he gently grasped her waist and pulled her even closer.

Sakura's heart was reaching dangerous heights. Sasuke's scent and proximity were making her dizzy and she was very aware of the fact that Itachi was watching every second of this little play.

"Finally I would kiss her head," Sasuke did just that in excruciatingly slow motion and as he pulled back he finished speaking. "and tell her that she is mine."

Sakura let out a shuddering breath as Sasuke just stared at her and the two of them continued to sway.

"I must say you are a romantic." Sakura jumped and ripped herself ungracefully from Sasuke. Itachi beamed at them from the couch. She blushed and tried to cover it by brushing off her skirt. Sasuke seemed unbothered and sank back into his chair.

"If that is all I really do need to finish cleaning upstairs." Sakura bowed and ran out the door before either of them could tell her otherwise. Her cheeks continued to burn for the rest of her shift and by the time she was home she couldn't stop replaying the moments with Sasuke over and over in her mind.

Sakura vigorously scrubbed the bathtub in the Uchiha main suit. Mikoto had used a new bath bomb she found online and it had turned the entire thing a weird shade of turquoise. Sakura had been given a strong cleaner and told it was her main priority.

The house was quiet tonight. Itachi was studying somewhere else besides his bedroom for once and Sasuke was out with Naruto and Sai weirdly enough. Apparently there was some school project Naruto need them for. Sakura could only imagine what that could mean. Naruto did some weird projects.

She scrubbed and scrubbed for forty five minutes and only half of the tub was a normal color. Sakura sighed and decided that she needed a new sponge. The one she was currently using was basically lint now. She dropped the old one into the trash bag on her small caddy and made her way to the supply closet.

She wiped her head with the back of her hand and took a few deep breaths. It felt good to get a small break. Sakura stretched and popped a few of her sore joints. She heard voices talking quietly in front of her and she decided not to disturb them. She moved slower and kept as quiet as possible until she could discern who it was.

It was another one of the rules she had to follow. She was not allowed to interrupt the Uchihas for any reason. If there was some sort of a fight or intense discussion she was to walk the other way. Sakura tried not to huff at the stupidity of it all. She was a maid for crying out loud. She was there to work not learn family gossip. Nevertheless she approached the voices as quiet as a mouse.

"I mean who does she really think she is?" A shrill whisper cut through the silence and Sakura took a few more steps forward. She knew the voice but couldn't place it yet.

"A slut that's who. There's no way she is as innocent as she claims to be." Sakura finally realized who was talking. It was Kimiko the mousy brunette maid that always had a sneer on her face and Daisy a redhead who she had honestly never spoken to.

Sakura figured she was close enough that she could turn around but her interest was peaked. Who were they talking about? An Uchiha? One of the maids?

"Yeah Sakura's a little slut."

Sakura stopped dead in her tracks. Her heart pumped faster and quickly she slid into the dark doorway of Itachi's room. They couldn't see her and she kept as still and quiet as humanly possible. They thought she was a slut? Why? What had she done?

"Seriously. First she somehow manages to get on Itachi's good side. Did you hear about the way he asked for her specifically the other day I was standing right there for crying out loud." Daisy's voice raised ever so slightly. Sakura clenched her fist.

"Yeah and that crap about her dad? Yeah right! It was just an excuse she she could stay the night with her stupid friends."

Sakura tried to fight back the angry tears that were flooding her vision but she was loosing. How dare they bring her dad into this. It was taking all of her energy not to reveal herself and say something snotty. She knew it was going to get back to Mei and she would be out of a job. She needed this job. Sakura took a steadying breath.

"Tell me about it. We were at Itachi's beck and call all freaking night and it was all for her."

"And she had to be friends with that stupid Yamanaka. I used to go to the same high school as them and she was the loudest, most obnoxious boy crazy whore I've ever seen. It's no wonder everyone thought she was sleeping around with Asuma sensei."

Daisy laughed shrilly at Kimiko's nasty words. Sakura could not believe the lies she was hearing. Sure, Ino was a little that way but for the most part she was a good person who tried her hardest and looked out for her friends. And that crap about Asuma was just that, crap. He was a family friend.

"Did you see what happened yesterday?" Kimiko asked in a way that made it seem like she had discovered the lost city of Atlantis.

"No, what?" Daisy shut the supply closet.

"She was alone with both Itachi and Sasuke in the garden room and when I peeked in Sasuke was kissing her on the head!"

"NO! We need to say something to Mei."

"Not yet. All in good time."

There was shrill laughter and then the all sound faded as the two of them descended down the stairs. Sakura had managed to stay quiet that whole time but she knew that eventually she would explode. She always did.

Sakura stomped to the supply closet and grabbed a sponge as quickly as possible and moved to the bathtub once again. She scrubbed and scrubbed until her hands were raw and red. Tears fell down her face in great rivulets but she ignored them.

How could they think those things about her? Everything that was happening was completely pure and innocent. She wasn't here to win over the boys. She was here to make sure that her and her mom could still have a decent living and that maybe she could have a small amount of money for college.

Sakura's hand slipped and her elbow came down hard on the porcelain of the tub. She let out a strangled cry and instead of wallowing in the pain she turned on the tap and rinsed the tub. The turquoise swirled and ran down the drain leaving a perfectly white surface behind it. Sakura watched as the bubbles receded before wiping her face and making her way downstairs to her locker.

Her shift had ended thirty minutes ago but she couldn't finish the tub in time. She wasn't sure if she got paid for the overtime hours but she didn't care. She had done her job the way she was supposed to and she was sure that everything was clean. Sakura dropped her caddy in her locker and half waved for her time card before heading out into the darkness.