ATTENTION READERS. We interrupt this story to bring you a heartfelt, sweet chapter between Sai and Sakura. Please sit back, enjoy, and try not to miss Kakashi too much. ;)

This chapter goes out to and Cruisegirl86, who seem to be Sai's biggest fans with this story! :)

Chapter 14

"Good morning, Sakura! It is so wonderful to see you shining brighter than the sun!"

Sakura giggled at Gai's announcement as she entered the coffee shop. Sometimes he was too energetic for the front counter, which was why it was good he was the manager. He mostly hid in his office with paperwork, unless he was training new employees. Today he had a young man standing beside him, probably the one who he was whining about the other night at the bar.

Sakura smiled at the boy when she reached the counter. He stood straight with confidence, but she could see an underlying nervousness in his eyes. She immediately looked at his nametag, Lee. When she looked up to his eyes, she was shocked to see his hair identical to Gai's. She was shocked she didn't instantly notice. It was like they were father and son. She knew Gai had no children or siblings, so he couldn't be a son or even a nephew. It was so odd.

"Lee, this is Sakura Haruno, our shining employee! You'll do well to remember her so you may always give her a smiling face!"

"Yes, sir! If I give a customer one smile, I shall give her four!"

Sakura gave awkward laugh. Yes, Gai could hide back in his office. Making their lives easier. His mini-me, on the other hand, would be front and center. There was no escaping him.

"Can I just get some pastries?" she asked. She looked at the glass display. "Can I have half a dozen strudels? Mix the flavors, but make sure there's two apple."

Lee rushed to get her order together, moving as if he was racing someone. He took her money just as fast. She hoped he was trying to impress Gai and not her; she didn't need him developing a crush.

She thanked them and headed for the door. Just as she reached to open it, she turned back around to shout, "I'll see you tomorrow!" When she turned back, she ran straight into a man's chest. "Excuse me."

"Hn."

The man brushed her off, walking up to the counter. She stared at the back of his head as he walked away, thinking how odd his hair was. His black hair was thick, sticking straight off the back of his head.

She hugged the box of pastries close, humming as she left the store. She had a train to catch.

X

Sakura smiled as she walked up the driveway to the quaint little house. It was built with dark wood and stone, the normal style for the houses on the outskirts of the city. It looked far cozier than her apartment ever could, and she hadn't even gone inside yet!

She knocked twice on the maroon-colored door. It opened almost immediately, Sai smiling on the other side. "Please come in," he said, opening the door wide for her.

"Your house is so cute," she said, looking around. Soft colors were everywhere. Light blue and yellow pillows sitting on the brown couches, vases with fresh flowers sitting on every available surface. There were many pictures on the wall, of Sai and his brother, Shin, and also with a man and woman she didn't know. They must have been his parents.

"Is that Sakura?" a woman's voice drifted in. A second later a stout woman popped into the room, holding a dish rag. "Oh, it is! I just heard you from the kitchen — I was washing dishes. Oh, come here!"

Sakura was scooped into a hug, making her laugh. Luckily Sai grabbed the pastries before they were crushed. When the woman set her down, she smiled wide. "Please, call me Akimi. My husband isn't here right now — Did you bring us pastries? That's so sweet!"

Akimi grabbed the box from Sai and popped it open. "Oh, you even grabbed his favorite, apple! What a nice friend you are! I'm washing dishes now, then I'll be making lunch. What would you like? I'll make anything—"

"Mother," Sai said with a sigh.

Sakura giggled. "Whatever you make will be wonderful, Akimi."

Akimi beamed. "I'll just put these in the fridge. We can eat them after lunch."

"Bye, Mother," Sai said. He grabbed Sakura's hand and started leading her through the house. "Annoying woman," he muttered, though Sakura hear in his voice that he was smiling.

The upstairs revealed a sitting area with couches. This room, unlike the living room, had many bookshelves. The square room had four doors around the edges, bookshelves stuffed to the brim along the free wall space.

Sai gave her a quick tour of the upstairs. The bathroom was first. His parent's door was shut, as well as Shin's. "He's probably sleeping," he offered. The last room was his. He let her peak inside, and she wasn't surprised to see how plain it was. He had minimal furniture and decorations. "We're going to the basement." They snuck downstairs quickly, Sai not wanting his mother to stop and talk to them again.

"Wow, Sai," Sakura gasped when she saw the basement.

The room was made into an art studio. Canvases were everywhere: leaning against the walls, sitting on easels, and stacked in piles. A bookshelf in the corner was filled with sketchbooks, and another had books that appeared to be about art history and methods. The far end of the room had a couch facing a TV, bookshelves on either side with gaming consoles resting there and their games beside them; it must have been Shin's side of the space.

"I'm glad you like it," Sai said. "Come here."

Sai took her to the bookshelf with sketchbooks, where he pulled out a softcover leather one. He let her look at it. As she flipped through the pages, she felt tears coming to her eyes. All the pictures were of her. Some were simple portraits, others were of her at the coffee shop making coffee. Each drawing was beautiful and unique, and she was touched that he had spent so much time drawing her.

"Shin said it was an obsession, but I think-"

"Sai, they're beautiful!" Sakura said, interrupting the beginnings of a nervous explanation. "This makes me happy."

Sai nodded, ending the conversation. He sat at one of his stools, watching her as she looked around. She peaked at canvases, flipped through sketchbooks, and smiled. She smiled a lot. Sai was happy. He had never shown anyone his art outside of the family.

But Sakura was family. So he supposed he was still keeping it to his family.

After an hour, Sai heard footsteps coming downstairs. Sakura didn't noticed, engrossed in one of his sketchbooks. He looked back at the steps and saw his brother. He was staring at Sakura.

"Woah, man, I didn't realize—"

Sai jumped to him and yanked him up the stairs. When he let him go, Shin shouted "Hey!" and rubbed the spot Sai grabbed him. "Don't," Sai said. "Don't be like that with her. She's my best friend, and you will not make it any more than it needs to be, for me and you. She's off-limits."

"Hey, hey, hey." Shin threw his hands up. "I wasn't going to try to date your total babe of a best friend. I have standards, and she must have something wrong with her if she's hanging around you."

Sai punched his brother, then went to get Sakura. She didn't comment on the black eye growing on Shin's face, though she was itching to know what happened.

Akimi spoke all through lunch. Asking Sakura one question led to seven tangents. She said her hair was natural, which led Akimi to talk about her favorite lipgloss being the same shade, the time she colored her hair pink when she was a teenager, and the pink flowers Sai's grandmother loved. Sakura thought it was endearing. Sai...not so much.

"Mother, please leave Sakura alone," he finally snapped.

Akimi flinched as if she'd been slapped. Sakura put a hand over Sai's and smiled. "No, Sai, it's wonderful," she said. "You know I don't have a relationship with my mom. Akimi, you're just like how I wished my own mother was."

This cheered Akimi up, which made her talk more, much to Sai's frustration. Shin found the whole situation amusing. He was starting to love Sakura, and annoying Sai was an added bonus.

"What's your boyfriend like?" Shin asked as soon as there was a break in conversation.

"Oh, yes, do tell us!" Akimi cheered. "I'm sure he's very special to catch a heart like yours."

"Oh, I don't know," Sakura said. Her face was beginning to match her hair, and she knew Sai couldn't save her. "There's a guy, but we're not dating. We're just good friends, for now."

Sai snorted. Sakura wanted to giggle at the sound — she'd never heard him snort before — but she was also irritated at him for it. She knew she shouldn't have told him about the kiss during laser tag. He had asked her many times before why she and Kakashi weren't dating already, and that had been the ultimate fuel for the fire of his badgering.

"Well, I'm stuffed," Sakura said, pushing her plate away. She didn't want anyone else asking about Kakashi. "It was delicious, Akimi. Sai, should we get some drawing done?"

Shin, thankfully, stayed out of the basement. Sakura was going to tell Sai stories of her past, and she really didn't want Shin listening. She was nervous enough about Sai knowing.

By the end of the afternoon, Sakura had half a dozen drawings and tear stains on her cheeks, yet a slightly lighter heart. It was good to talk, she decided, and she greatly appreciated Sai supporting her. She took her drawings home, planning to hide them from her mother. She wouldn't be showing anyone, ever.

Next Chapter: Sakura and her mother have a breakthrough.

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