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Chapter 14

Sakura woke the next morning, knowing Sasuke was gone. She sighed as she stood, hoping he'd left a note or something, as he hadn't said goodbye.

She walked out, not even caring about anything right now. Itachi was hurt, Sasuke was gone, Diedera was being all odd. There was just too much drama. Now, though, it should get back to normal!

It was just the three of them again, and Sakura saw it as a dream come true.

She went into the shower, not paying attention to anything this early. Especially the fact that she'd just wandered down the hall sans clothing.

Or that Diedera just stalled out, staring at her while standing in the hall.

Or that Itachi had been brushing his teeth when she went into the bathroom.

She was so brain fried she hadn't even noticed.

She turned on the water and grabbed a towel, balling it up and stuffing it on the back of the toilet.

Itachi turned and continued brushing his teeth, trying to ignore the fact that Sakura was going about her general morning routine beside him.

After a few random things, grabbing her brush and using the toilet, those such things, she finally stepped into the shower. Itachi swallowed hard, trying his best to keep himself in check.

"Sakura?" There was no response. He went over and peeked behind the shower curtain, finding her just standing there, her eyes wide, looking up at the cascading water. Itachi reached in, tapping her shoulder and she didn't move, she just stared. "Sakura, I'm getting worried about you, what's up?"

She stood there while Itachi tried to think, to figure out what to do.

The last few days had been so stressful, he figured that was a part of it. He knew what stress could do to a person, he was a mess after he left Konoha.

He stripped down to his pants and stepped in behind her, wrapping his arms around her, rocking softly. "Sakura, can you hear me?"

Sakura shivered at his breath on her ear. She loved his voice.

"Sakura, can you move, say something, anything that let's me know you're still with us?"

"Itachi..." She leaned back, reaching up and grasping his hands. He paled as her back pressed to him, his arms now were pulled to her chest. He didn't even want to think about where his hands were. "I don't want you to hurt like that. The look on your face, it terrified me. You've known about my feelings for a while, right?"

He looked down at her surprised. "What?"

"Just as I've know about yours. I'm a coward. I never had the courage, I could have told you so many times, but I rationalized it out. If I just wait a little longer, if the situation gets just a little different..." She closed her eyes, leaning her head back against his neck. "Just... stay here for a while, please?"

"Anytime." Itachi held her close, feeling her against him nearly made his head swim.

She'd confessed to him. He smiled to himself, feeling his heart beating a little harder than normal.

"So, Sakura, can I ask why you went through the house without your cloths?"

Sakura's eyes shot open and she turned to him, her gaze intent. "I did what?"

Sakura made her rounds, working harder than she had in days, taking Diedera with her. Itachi straightened up, did the dishes, did some laundry, that kind of thing, but wasn't bothered by it. It was nice to have a little time alone.

This gave him a little time to run Sakura's words through his head. She said she had feelings for him, but she'd said her words carefully, as if to try and keep things from going.

He wondered, with her blanking out till Itachi was there, knowing Sasuke had just left in the middle of the night, what were the chances he'd done that to her? Itachi loved his little brother. He always had, he always would, and now he was wondering if the little boy who's life he'd ruined had just tried to do him a favor.

He was almost hopeful that it was like that, he really didn't want to think Sakura had been so overwhelmed that she'd become like that.

It was late that night that Sakura and Diedera came in, both tired. Itachi had dinner ready and served it the moment they came through the door.

"How was your day?" Itachi looked over at Sakura who smiled at him, shaking her head. "Miyabi-sama had a bit of a situation. You know her oldest granddaughter?" Itachi nodded as he took a bite, the oddity of the meal actually really perfecting the fruit fried rice. The chicken was better in it than he'd thought.

"She's pregnant." Sakura looked over and Itachi nodded. "I've seen her around, it doesn't surprise me. Does she know who the father is?"

"He's the boy from the farm house. You know, the one that keeps breaking his arm."

"Oh, Mitsuhide." Sakura nodded.

"I didn't think he was old enough for that. What are they, like twelve?" Sakura giggled, covering her mouth. "They're sixteen, and they've been trying to get pregnant for three months. That way Miyabi-sama can't complain about the marriage." Itachi smiled, looking down.

"It's great that they want to be together like that. What do his parents think?"

"They've already offered to take her and the baby in, train her to be the wife of a farmer. Since he's the oldest, he'll inherit the farm." Itachi smiled and nodded.

"My best for them." Sakura noticed a far away look in his eye. Diedera stood, having devoured his food and stumbled to the hall. "Back to normal! I'm tired, I'll see you in the morning!"

Sakura knew he was trying to give them privacy. She shook her head at them.

"Itachi, what's bothering you?" He looked at her and shook his head.

"I've just had way too much time to think today." Sakura looked at him and he smiled at her, though the smile looked genuine, it was so sad looking that Sakura winced.

"If it's about this morning, I apologize, I should never have walked around without my clothing on."

"It's not that." Itachi smiled a little more. "Sakura, there's something I have to say. Your words this morning, they really hurt me." Sakura's eyes widened.

"Hurt you?"

"You said you didn't have the courage to confess to me, that you were a coward." Sakura shook her head, not understanding.

"I don't..."

"Sakura, I'm sorry, I've been a coward too." He reached out and grabbed her hands, holding them. He kept his eyes closed, trying not to let his eyes distract him.

This was it.

"Ever since I knew who you were, I knew I would be protecting you. Since I noticed that picture. It only took a week till I knew I would protect you, even without Sasuke. It's been hard being around you here, Sakura, because I keep fighting my hands, my instincts."

Sakura watched him, amazed at him, again looking over his face with his eyes closed. "Why do you fight?"

"If you said no, if you turned against me, Sakura, I don't think I could handle it."

Her heart jumped into her throat. She reached out slowly, taking his hand, but she held her hand up covering his eyes before he could open them. She moved over, laying her chin on his shoulder, feeling him against her. She spoke softly into his ear.

"I was really surprised, you know? When Sasuke sent that letter, he had married Ino, I thought I'd be devastated. It was supposed to kill me. I was a little disappointed, but I wasn't really sad. I had actually, without my knowledge, began to fear when I got called back to him." Itachi leaned down, laying his head on her shoulder as she sat on his lap. She wrapped her arms around him and he felt her all around, his head suddenly feeling light.

"I didn't want to leave you. By then I knew, but I didn't want to admit it. I'd been in love with him for so long, it was crazy. I didn't know how to handle the fact that I'd fallen more for someone I'd known for such a short period of time. The truth is, at least a little, I was relieved he did it."

Itachi's arms slowly snaked around her, his hands trembling.

"I can't handle rejection again. I guess that's why I didn't say anything, but I just knew. I woke up this morning and I knew that you loved me." She looked up at him with a smile and Itachi smiled back, finally meeting her eye.

She looked down, suddenly worried. "There's something, I've uh-"

Itachi slid his arms up, his left hand cupping her cheek, his right holding her to him. He leaned down and kissed her, brushing his lips against hers.

Sakura jumped, surprised at first, then she just melted. He could have done anything to her right then and she'd smile.

Itachi's head spun, her scent, how soft she was, it was surrounding him. She kissed him back running her tongue across his lip and he gasped, the sensation more than she could handle. Her tongue swept over his. She was surprised that he had such a penetrating taste of mango.

"Sakura!" He gasped, his breaths themselves seemed to be trembling. "I can't, I don't have the willpower for this!"

Her face turned down, at first he thought she was disappointed, but she laid her head on his chest.

"I don't want to rush you. I'm sorry, just..."

Itachi looked down at her, instinctively knowing what she was feeling. "Why are you so nervous?"

"I've... uh..." Itachi smiled and nodded.

"I see. I'll not rush you either, then." He smiled and she looked up.

"Don't worry about that. I'll admit two things I doubt you know about me." Itachi's eyes narrowed playfully at her. "First, I've read all of the IchaIcha paradise books at least three times. Second, I've waited for twenty years. I think the chance of feeling rushed was gone about three years ago." Itachi stared at her, a little surprised. Sher nuzzled a little into his chest as she spoke again.

"I don't want you to think that I'm... easy, but I have no more reason to wait. I don't want you to feel rushed, that's what I mean. Don't hold out on my account, just, when you-"

"I understand." Itachi kissed the top of her head and she smiled softly into him.

They sat like that for most of the night. There were no more words said, they were just sitting, enjoying each other's presence. It was the most amazing thing for her, to know that someone she felt like this about could feel the same about her.

She woke the next morning to find Itachi making breakfast, Diedera laying on the living room floor on his back, his arms out. She bent down so her face was over his. "What's up?"

"I think I have a pulled muscle in my back."

"Does it hurt?" He looked at her terrified and she smiled at him. "I need to test and see if I fixed it." Diedera sat up, his gaze worriedly set on her as she walked around behind him, laying her hands on his back. She reached in with her chakra and looked around. "Ah, I see it. Yep, it's a pulled muscle."

"Hey, uh, don't get me all turned on, yeah. It's not..." He looked over at the kitchen and swallowed hard. He held his hand down, sounding to be on the verge of tears. "This ain't right..."

He held his head down, his hands clenched, his eyes closed so tight he could see little lights dancing behind his eyelids.

Sakura sent out her chakra, trying to numb the area.

"OH MY GO-" Diedera screamed and fell over forwards, smashing his face into the floor. His breathing was barely pants, his heart was speeding along.

"It didn't fix, did it?"

"no..." He whimpered into the floor and Sakura frowned.

"Are you alright?" She patted him on the back, not as surprised as he recoiled against her touch.

"Don't touch me. Please, if you touch me again Itachi will have to kill me..." She stared at him wide eyed.

"Is it worse?" Diedera stood, stumbling and nodded. "I think you just sucked all the blood out of my head, yeah."

Itachi came out and Sakura just stared at him. "I have breakfast done, where's Diedera?"

"I think he needed a little alone time. Itachi, can I try my new numbing on you? I need a better idea of how it works."