title Nesting (2/2)
summary I like my men how I like my coffee. (On fire.) Hot.
pairing itasaku

Winter seeped into every crevice and under every door. Icicles hung from the bottoms of tree branches. Twinkling lovely and sharp in the morning sun.

Itachi exhaled. Steam puffing from his nostrils. He felt Sakura shift against him. His chin resting against the soft spot on her throat. Where he cold feel the heat swell and fade with each of her deep breaths.

Deep inside the cave, winter's cruelty barely touched them. The entrance to the outside world was well-insulated. And as a gesture of goodwill, Naruto had cast a cloaking charm over it on his way out. It had been a month since the departure of the human visitors. And while they had been loud, the joy lighting up Sakura's eyes had kept him from complaining.

But now that they were gone, there were no distractions. As a dragon, Itachi was supremely good at hoarding gold. The only thing he was better at guarding jealousy was his mate's attention.

In the first spring of their courtship, he had spent the entire season razing the valleys to scare off any potential rivals.

"Which is stupid, Itachi. Who else would I look at?" she drawled. All while lounging on a sun-warmed rock, making it clear that she had absolutely no intention of stopping him.

And then he spent the summer attacking the hoards of any rivals who were still foolish enough to stick around. It was an unorthodox approach. But it was fine with Sakura, who hated the idea of him pillaging human settlements. Those poor, soft little things who couldn't defend themselves against a single of his talons, much less his molten breath. She watched him take off into the skies in the early morning, only returning late and night with his jaws filled with gold and silver. Then the nights he spent burrowing into the side of a mountain, widening the caves water had long ago carved into the stone until they had a cozy little nest.

In her human form, Sakura watched him piling up the gold to fill one of the huge chambers. Her chin in her hands as he swept the goblets and coins together.

"What's up with dragons and hoards anyway?" she wondered out loud. Her bare feet swinging back and forth.

Itachi looked over his shoulder at her. Puffs of smoke leaking out of his nostrils.

"I'm not sure. It just feels right," he answered.

Sakura tilted her head. "Maybe you just like pretty things," she suggested.

He eyed her for a little while longer. His pupils dilating. "Clearly," he huffed before turning back to his task. The skin around his throat flushed red as she laughed.

And now, about a year later, Itachi coiled around Sakura a little tighter. He felt her tail wind around his, squeezing just a little. The rumbles of his breaths came out almost as a purr. Although their cozy home stayed warm, the cool weather outside made them lethargic. In fact, they likely would have been in full hibernation if not for something new. More accurately, three new somethings.

"Mama! Papa!"

A shriek pierced the quiet. As if on cue, two other squeals filled the air.

"Papa! Mama! Hungryyy!"

"Hungry, Papa! Food!"

Itachi sighed. He flexed his wing to cover his head as the three whelps wandered into the inner chamber. They clambered up onto their joined tails. Little teeth nipping and nudging.

"Papa! Food!" they wailed.

Itachi wondered if this was worse than being sealed underground for hundreds of years in hot magma. And for a brief moment, he couldn't really decide which he preferred. The magma was quiet, at least.

A growl rolled up Sakura's throat as she sat up. Her gaze flickered around the cave. She counted to make sure that all three were there. And then she gathered them in front of her with a sweep of her clawed hand. They sat obediently, still whining and flicking their skinny little tails. She shook her head, her iridescent scales glittering in the torch light.

"I guess it's time to go hunting," she muttered. Itachi grunted in response. He had gone the last time. He wasn't going to protest.

"I wanted to stretch my legs anyway," she added. And then she began to shimmer with a soft red light. With a flash, her huge body condensed. Scales receding, turning to smooth flesh. The horns on her head shrunk, disappearing into the hair that sprouted from her scalp. She stood in front of the three whelps, who were now the same size as their mother. They sniffed cautiously at her, as if to check that this strange creature was still their mother. Sakura moved around Itachi to the other end of the chamber. Where there sat actual pieces of human furniture. A grand armoire with gilded handles. A big mirror. Even a chair and matching ottoman. It had taken them a while to gather the furniture just to Sakura's liking, But she had insisted because she liked to be comfortable when in this smaller form too.

As Sakura opened up the armoire, the whelps trailed after her. They sniffed at the different dresses and cloaks hanging inside. There was also a chest plate propped up in the corner of the armoire, along with a battered helmet.

"I guess I'll head into town too while I'm out. Do you need anything, Itachi?" Sakura called, pulling on her warmest clothes. As she buttoned up her fur-lined cloak, one of the whelps poked his head underneath, nudging her.

"Mama, you're all little now," he observed. His brothers nodded. Laughing, Sakura smoothed her hands down the sides of his neck. Tickling his little chin. He purred, wiggling his tail.

"Yes, baby. And one day you'll be able to do this too," Sakura cooed in return.

"Me too! Me too!" his siblings chorused. Sakura smiled as she indulged them. When she pulled on her boots, three pairs of eyes stared in wonder at her wiggling fingers as she patted each of them again.

"Alright, darlings. Be very good for Papa," Sakura said. She didn't move until all three of the dragon young nodded at her. She then walked up to Itachi, who absolutely towered over her in this form. She wrapped her arms around his snout. He nuzzled against her. Then, very slowly, one of his eyes cracked open. The iris brilliant and sharp like a polished ruby. She watched the way his slit-shaped pupil dilated as he stared right back at her.

"Be right back," she whispered. When she kissed his scales, his eye drifted shut again.

As Sakura climbed up the piles of gold, up toward the surface, the whelps began trailing after her. Their dull claws scrabbled against the treasure, sending goblets and trophies clattering onto the stone. Eyes still closed, Itachi reached out. He swept his arm around the young, squishing them against his chest.

"Go back to sleep. Mama will come back faster if you do," he ordered, ignoring their squirming. It didn't take long for them to give up. They wouldn't have the strength to beat him for at least a few decades. They balled up against his chest, dozing off. Their little snouts twitching as they dreamt. And Itachi wrapped his tail around them, forming a protective circle. Black scales glittering in the dim cave as he let out another steaming breath.

Sakura returned a little before sundown. She pried the wooden door open. One hand cupped around her mouth as she called down the tunnel. A deep grumble answered her. And in the darkness, two crimson eyes glowed. The ground trembled a little as Itachi crawled out to meet her. There was a pouch sitting at her feet. Sakura untied it to reveal a huge amount of gold coins. It would be a nice addition to their ever-expanding hoard. But it certainly wasn't big enough to hold enough food for their little brood.

Itachi's eyes narrowed when he smelled something. And when he stuck his head out into the cold, he saw the carcass of an enormous moose. Blood pooling into the snow. She hefted her axe over her shoulder, the blade shining wetly.

"Found him right by that ravine!" Sakura told him, grinning proudly. "Took him down in three chops!"

Itachi closed his teeth around the fallen beast. He took careful steps backwards, dragging the moose underground. Sakura followed after him, taking care to conceal and seal the entrance to their home.

The smell of fresh blood drew the whelps. They clambered over one another, whining. Smoke huffed out of Itachi's nostrils as he snapped his jaws at them. Teeth gleaming red. The whelps fell silent.

"Your mama worked hard to bring you this meal. You don't eat until she has the first bite," he growled. And they bent their contrite little heads, eyes averted. Sakura stroked their snouts as she walked past. Further down the tunnels, there was a burst of red light. The flutter of her wings blowing warm air back toward them. And Sakura returned, black talons digging into the packed earth. She bent her neck to tear into the belly of the moose. Guts steaming as they spilled onto the tunnel floor. She ripped off a leg. And only when she took a step back did Itachi nudge their children forward. They pounced on the beast, little teeth digging into the warm flesh.

"You know," Sakura remarked as she lowered the leg to the ground. She rubbed at her mouth with a talon. "I'm not actually hungry."

Itachi leaned in. His forked tongue darted out. Licked the remaining blood from her mouth. "I know. But they have to learn their manners," he answered. Smiling, Sakura nuzzled against the underside of his throat. She could feel the soft heat of his breaths through the plate-like scales, woven together like armor. He nudged her back.

"I suppose you're right, Papa," she purred in return.