Disclaimer: If there was a way for us to own Naruto, we'd do it without hesitation. Sadly, this is not the case.

Banana: I love sleeping bags. I could sleep in them wherever I wanted and still feel like I'm camping. :D

Sammay: I love them because I can pretend I'm a caterpiller in them. Mwehehehh.

Chapter 8

"What about Tobi, un?" Deidara called from his seat. "And why is he going to need a shower?"

Mentioning for Naruto to follow her, Savanna returned to the living room and plopped down on the couch.

"It's not that big of a deal," she explained, smiling sheepishly. "Like Naruto suggested, it's nothing a shower can't fix. Tobi just slipped on a mud puddle outside, and now he's covered entirely in mud... But he's sleeping now."

Deidara's expression gave off the vibe that he wasn't amused. "How could Tobi be sleeping if he fell in a mud puddle?" he murmured, almost to himself. "Hmm..."

"Um I don't know..." Savanna attempted to look indifferent as she shrugged. "You know how Tobi is. When it comes to him, anything is possible, right?" Haha... I can't believe he actually cried himself to sleep!

Deidara didn't respond; he merely continued to regard Savanna with an odd look that suggested he knew more than he let on. She nearly started to fidget under his sharp gaze, but she managed to return his stare with a polite smile. I must be a bad actor, she thought. Ergh... Why can't I read his mind?!

The silence continued to drag on, and when it was just about to reach the level of Sai-awkward, Savanna gladly grasped a topic that had sprung up in her mind. "Oh, yeah," she said. "I already have the sleeping arrangements all figured out, but I forgot to tell you guys. Deidara, you get the couch. Is that alright with you?"

Deidara's visage morphed back into his usual calm one. "Mmhm," he confirmed.
"Great! And... um... Naruto..." Savanna turned her body towards said ninja as he observed her with a questioning look in his eyes. "When I looked in my closet," Savanna started, "there were only three sleeping bags. Of course, Tobi's using one right now, so there are only two left. Sammay and Neji- he's sleeping over, by the way- are sharing one, so that means we'll have to share the remaining sleeping bag. Yeah..." I wonder how Naruto is going to take all of this...

Ahhh... So that's why she's blushing, Neji thought, smiling at Sammy's embarrassed expression. Does that mean... She wants to share with me? "It's alright," he assured her. "I don't mind, and I know that we're both mature enough to handle it." After pausing for a moment, a chuckle escaped him. "But Naruto, on the other hand, is a completely different matter. I question his level of maturity quite often, so I don't know how he'll handle sharing a sleeping bag with Savanna..."

A wave of relief washed over Sammy as the words left Neji's lips. To her pleasure, she could feel her blush subsiding, as well. "Me, neither," she replied, sending him a small smile. "Being Naruto."

"He'll probably perform the predicted act and completely freak out... on the inside," Neji chuckled. "He wouldn't want to ruin his 'cool demeanor'."

"I couldn't agree more," Sammy laughed. "It's pretty obvious he's got the hots for her. Kiba, too..."

"Considering the fact that the two are constantly quarreling over her, yes," he agreed. "It's pretty obvious."

Sammy looked down at her lap after placing her hands on the same spot. I wonder if it's obvious that I like him so much, she thought. I really hope it isn't... "Yep," she laughed. "Lucky girl..."

Wait... what? Naruto thought as he blinked at Savanna. She and I... are going to have to share a sleeping bag? ...YES! That's totally wicked! That is... so cool. She has to realize how awesome this is! Ah! I can't wait to brag to Kiba...
"Ohhh, okay," Naruto nodded, trying his hardest not to portray too much excitement, although the way his eyes danced as he smiled at Savanna completely gave him away. "I'm fine with that!"

I am totally more than fine with thaaaattt! I am absolutely greatly positively fine with it! Naruto continued to celebrate in his mind. This is one step in our relationship! We are so close to officially becoming... AN ITEM. Oh my gawwwshhhh. I could not be happier!

Deidara's expression gradually changed to that of disapproval as he regarded the happy blonde. Just by looking at him, one could tell that he knew of Naruto's major excitement, but of course, no one even knew what he was actually thinking... not even Sammy or Savanna.

Speaking of Savanna, said person remained completely powerless to the rejoicing thoughts of Naruto as they loudly sounded in her head, as clear as day.

And then she proceeded to mentally break down when she witnessed for herself his feelings of affection, which were for none other than her.

I can't believe it, she thought. I know I've basically said this all day, but this is a dream-come-true! Naruto likes me. NARUTO UZUMAKI LIKES ME. The star of my favorite anime of all time. Our feelings are mutual, and we'll be sharing a sleeping bag together! I swear, I'm in heaven! Ahaaa! Ahaaeijdhehfnfo-

And then she swore to herself that Naruto wouldn't be liking her anymore if he could read her mind like she could read his.

...Naruto's attempt at appearing calm just about failed miserably, but did Savanna's expression mirror her thoughts as much as his did?
Concentrating on getting a grip on herself- and reminding herself that another object of her affections was currently sitting in an armchair, listening to the conversation- Savanna tried as best as she could to smile politely at Naruto ('Just a polite one, and nothing more, Savanna'). "Great," she replied, clasping her hands together. "Then, everything's set! This is going to be fun."

Naruto usually wasn't one to notice a lot of things, but even he could tell that Savanna was practically glowing.
She's excited, too, he happily thought. I wonder if... Nahh. I'm getting ahead of myself! I wouldn't be THAT lucky! "Yeah!" he agreed. "The last sleepover I had wasn't that great. It was at Kiba's, but his mom and sis had this HUGE fight... I thought it wasn't ever gonna end! I just know that this one will be fun, though."

Savanna laughed when she pictured Tsume and Hana yelling at each other while Kiba and Naruto cowered together in a corner. "Mmhm," she nodded. "This one's going to be fun, for sure. But it's past midnight already, so I'll go ahead and set up the sleeping bags down here." And with that, she dashed upstairs to her closet (squealing quietly and jumping a little in tiny bursts of fangirling) and snatched the sleeping bags from inside.

When Savanna disappeared up the staircase, Naruto's gaze wandered over to Deidara. "Whoa," the former exclaimed in surprise. "Why're you frowning like that? Aren't you excited?" He paused for a moment. "Or do Akatsuki members, like, not get excited over anything?"

Deidara's emotions rarely presented themselves on the surface, so before Naruto addressed him, he wasn't aware that his "cool" mask had been shattered momentarily. As soon as the Akatsuki member registered the question, however, his usual smirk slipped back into place. Even as his annoyance with the Jinchuriki increased.

"Akatsuki aren't some robots, un," Deidara defended, "despite what you and others may think. We just carry out brutal missions... That's all. When Leader Pain hasn't assigned us a mission, which is the case for me right now, we behave like any normal human being. Hmm."

"Okay, okay," Naruto waved Deidara off. "I get it. Jeez. Where did you get 'robots' from, anyway? I definitely didn't say that... But you still didn't answer my question. Why were you so grouchy?"

I don't know if I would refer to Savanna as lucky, Neji pondered. Although she has two guys fighting over her, it does appear to me like she prefers one over the other...

Dropping the matter for the moment, Neji continued to observe Sammay as she regarded her lap. Contrary to her worries, Neji couldn't read her more than he could read a blank piece of paper. She's speaking so nonchalantly about feelings of love, albeit love she can see in other people, he thought. I wonder... Does that mean that she doesn't think of affinity as important? Does she even have a high affinity for someone? What is her affinity for me...? Wait... What am I even thinking? Internally shaking his head, Neji blamed his bizarre thoughts on the time.

"Savanna has lived here for quite a while, but it also seems like you two have known each other for a long time, as well... I'm curious as to why this is your first time visiting the Leaf?" Neji's soft voice penetrated the air as his gaze never wavered from the girl in front of him.

"...Well, you've probably imagined how far away I live from here," Sammy trailed off, after trying to think of an excuse that didn't include the fact that she didn't believe "visiting" The Leaf Village was actually possible. "It's a really long trip, and you'll never know what you'll find or see. You know?"

Neji nodded, slowly processing the words that had just come from her lips. I feel like the more I get to know her, the less I actually learn something about her, he thought. All I know is the basics... nothing really of her history, or Utah... "I see," he said, trying desperately to read her expression. "How long did it take you to get here today?"

"A lot shorter than I expected..."

He could see a story within her eyes, but he couldn't comprehend the words that seemed nearly vacant from the pages in front of him. Neji couldn't find an opening in her. He couldn't spot a crack that would allow himself to barely get a glimpse into her life. He knew she had a background- an imaginary book that sat inside of her, new pages and chapters constantly being written by her, the girl who held the pen... but he felt as if her hand grazed across the paper and her other hand blocked anyone else's view of the words. Sammy seemed to be very particular when it came to choosing those who were given the privilege of reading her story. What did it take to become someone she trusted?

As Neji continued to study her, desperately trying to grasp this book that was so far away from him, he realized he wasn't just staring into the deep blue of her eyes. He was staring into a sea. A sea that had been through winds and rainstorms, but had also experienced breathtaking sunsets and pure bliss. He realized she was just like any other person... She was just another girl. But if she was just your average teenager, then why did Neji feel like he was sitting in front of a part of her that was worth millions? A part of her that was so much more than he could ever imagine?

"Did you end up finding anything you never knew you would find?" Neji inquired, practically repeating what she had said a few seconds before. He was willing to do just about anything to know something—the smallest thing about her that could give him some sort of lead. A lead to something he wasn't sure of.

Sammy smiled softly. You would never believe what I found... "I found something quite remarkable," she stated, completely unaware of his ongoing thoughts that she still, without realizing it, refused to read. "But it wasn't on the way here... it was when I got here."

Deidara silently examined Naruto for a moment before answering. "Certain people get on my nerves, un," he said, his voice not wavering a bit. "I was thinking about them. And so I frowned. Hm."

"Oh, really?" Naruto questioned, leaning in towards the Akatsuki member. "Or is it because you're jealous that Savanna is sharing a sleeping bag with me and not you? Hmmmmmm?"

Deidara's eyes soon narrowed into tiny slits. "Nothing of the sort. Hm."

"LIES!" Naruto guffawed. "SHE'S MINEEEE! HAHAHAHAHHA!"

The boy's gleeful laugh echoed through the room as he held his stomach, looking almost maniacal. He stopped laughing a few seconds later, though, and leaned in towards Deidara even farther. Once he spoke again, the words came out much, much darker. "She's mine."

At this point, Savanna had already reached the bottom of the stairs, and she would have continued right on into the living room if she hadn't caught wind of Naruto and Deidara's conversation. Clutching the sleeping bags close to her body, she quickly ducked behind the hallway wall and quieted her breathing so she could easily pick up the voices of her crushes.

Did Naruto just tell Deidara... that I'm his?! she thought incredulously. Holy crap! Naruto reaallllyyy shouldn't have done that! But as Savanna continued to freak out, a small part of her (she had her suspicions that it was her inner fangirl) reminded her that she really did want to be with Naruto. And besides, it told her, Deidara doesn't listen to anyone. Well, except for Pain. To a certain extent.

Deidara's eyes remained narrowed at the Jinchuriki. "And is there a reason you're saying that she 'belongs' to you, un?"

Deidara's question seemed to throw Naruto off guard. "Welllll," Naruto dragged, "We've known each other for a long time (to which Savanna thought, Yeah, right), and she asked me to share a sleeping bag with her. She wouldn't just ask ANYONE to share with her! And besides... I called her! So BACK OFF."

Deidara's expression finally relaxed into an indifferent one. "I'm only asking questions, un," he claimed. "And you haven't answered mine. Your explanation still doesn't tell me why she belongs to you. Hmm. You can't just "call" her."

Naruto folded his arms defensively. "Yeah, I can! I just DID! So THERE!"

Deidara remained as deadpan as a statue, and Savanna took the silence as an opportunity to diffuse the tension hanging in the air. Taking a deep breath, she quickly swung around the wall and strided into the living room as if she had just run down the stairs. "Got the sleeping bags," Savanna said with as much enthusiasm as she could muster.

If Savanna hadn't eavesdropped on the two ninja, Naruto's nervous chuckle would have alerted her that something was fishy, anyway. "Hehe... Great," he replied, scratching the back of his head. "Let's get this thing started!"

Nodding, Savanna flashed Naruto a grin and started laying out the two sleeping bags next to the couch. As she was doing so, her eyes briefly met with Deidara's, and an uneasiness arose from within her. Why is he looking at me like that? she wondered. There's something off about his gaze... After pondering about it for another moment, another thought nearly made her gasp out loud. What if... What if Deidara knew that I was eavesdropping? He is a ninja, after all. And a very strong one, at that. Oh, no... He probably did know...

"Soooo," Naruto drawled, interrupting Savanna from her thoughts, "What're you planning to do before we go to sleep?"

Savanna gratefully tore her gaze away from Deidara and rested it on Naruto. "Well, we probably shouldn't do much before we go to sleep, since it's so late," she answered. "But I was thinking about telling a few scary stories."

I do admit that she does have a point there, Neji thought in response to Sammy. The Land of Fire is home to the most powerful hidden village, the Leaf. That seems like the most probable reason of why this village is remarkable... Then, why do I get the feeling that there's some hidden meaning behind her words?

"I see," Neji replied. "I do believe that the Hidden Leaf is very remarkable, if I must say so for myself."

Before Sammy could respond, Savanna poked her head through the doorway leading into the kitchen. "Hey, guys," she greeted. Perfect timing... Right, Sammay? "I just set up the sleeping bags, so everything's ready. You don't have to get inside them yet, but won't you two join us for some scary stories?"

Such lovely timing, Sammy agreed. "Sure," she decided, standing up and stretching her legs by standing on her tiptoes. "Let's go."
The blonde spun around on her heel and walked out of the kitchen through the doorway and away from Neji, who continued to sit, thinking. What is it? he thought, almost getting angry. Why can't I figure this out? She's so mysterious, and she's so good at hiding this... this thing that I wish I was aware of. How can this be?

Neji was extremely confused... the reason for that partially being that he was confused. He rarely ever was confused, and he never imagined that this girl who seemingly came to the Leaf out of nowhere would be the one to make him feel so helpless. Shaking his head, he stood up and followed the two cousins out of the kitchen and into the living room, the same feeling he had felt all throughout the day lingering in his body. He couldn't help but notice how rapidly it was growing.

Naruto just about ran over to Savanna to continue to talk to her, but just then, he noticed Neji walk into the room. A small smirk managed to make its way onto the boy's lips as he strode over to the Hyuga. "Heeeeeeeeyyy, Neji," he grinned. "How was getting to know Sammy? Wasn't it just... LOVEly?"

Narrowing his eyes slightly (making Naruto think that was the only way another person would look before they replied), Neji glanced over at Sammy for a split second. "It was fine," he managed to say calmly, blinking a number of times at Naruto. "Why do you ask?"

"Ooohh, no reason," the blonde boy drawled. "No reason at alllllll. I was just wondering. Do yoouuu ever wonder, Neji, dear?"

"...Actually, I do," said ninja answered, the Jinchuriki's question reminding him of the strange thing about Sammy.

"That's just great." Naruto winked, motioning towards Sammy with his head and wiggling his eyebrows. "Anyway, I have to get back to" -he looked pointedly over at Deidara- "MY girl. Because she's MINEEEE."

Waltzing back over to his girl, Naruto's grin never faded. "Let's all sit in a circle, shall we?" he said while linking his arm with Savanna's. At that, he lowered both him and her to the floor.

Sammy nearly snorted at Naruto's act before she sat down on the floor next to her cousin. This should be good, she thought, crossing her legs.

Deidara reluctantly raised himself from the chair he had been sitting in and sauntered over to the circle that was currently being created. Scanning the 'available' seats in the small area, he chose to sit down next to Naruto, who hissed at him in response. The glint in the boy's eyes yelled, "SHE'S MINNNEEE."

"Join us," Sammy smiled up at Neji, patting the spot next to her.

Rolling his eyes at Naruto, Neji tried to appear calm and nonchalant as he took up Sammy's offer and lowered himself in the empty spot on the floor next to her. Contrary to his appearance, Sammy's simple act of patting the floor stirred his emotions around like a droplet of water hitting the surface of a pond.

And Savanna's emotions weren't far off from Neji's, either. Not far off at all.

When Naruto first linked his arm through hers, Savanna's train of thought threatened to veer off course. It wasn't entirely due to her ever-growing crush on him, although that did influence her quite a bit.

It was just that Naruto felt so... real.

Of course, Savanna had felt Naruto before, when she had rested her hand on his shoulder. However, that moment was so brief, and her touch was so light... She had also sat on his shoulders during Chicken while everyone was in the pool, but that game had captured nearly all of her attention. Now that her arm was basically wrapped around his with nothing else to focus on, she was forced to direct her attention to how real he felt.

Naruto feels just like any other person, Savanna thought. This is even more proof that I'm living in my own role play... I can't believe this is happening! Naruto's hissing brought her back to reality, and she blinked, trying to organize her thoughts into some comprehensible form.

"There's no need to hiss at Deidara," Savanna joked. "He's not doing anything wrong. Sorry about him, Deidara."

A smirk tugged at the corners of Deidara's lips. "No worries, un. I knew from the first moment I laid eyes on him that he was all bark and no bite."

"Whaddaya mean, 'all bark and no bite'?!" Naruto repeated, furrowing his eyebrows. "I can sooooo fight! You wanna go right now? HUH?"

"No thanks, hmm," Deidara coolly replied.

Before Naruto could lunge at the Akatsuki member, Savanna jabbed the former in the side with her linked arm, earning an "oof" from his part. "Why don't we all just have a nice sleepover?" she suggested, a little edge hanging in her voice.

"Fine, fine," Naruto grumbled. "But only 'cause you said so."

Ignoring the urge to squeal at Naruto's comment, Savanna turned to the rest of her friends (plus her cousin) in the circle. "So. Scary stories. Who wants to go first?"

His earlier grumpiness totally forgotten, Naruto immediately jabbed a finger at Neji and beamed from ear to ear. "NEJI. TELL ONE. NOW."

Why me? Neji thought despairingly. "I... don't have much experience (he actually didn't have any) with telling scary stories," he explained. "So I don't think picking me would be your best option..."

Naruto's grin didn't subside in the least. "Duh... That's exactly why I chose you, Neji!" He paused for a moment. "...My dear."

Neji's eyebrow twitched at Naruto's fake caring tone. "Why don't you tell one, Naruto?"

"Because I want to hear YOU tell one! C'mon... At least TRY!"

Unsure of what to do, Neji cast his eyes around the entire circle, observing the expectant gazes of his peers. When his lavender eyes met those of Sammy, they lingered there for a moment longer before he finally sighed.

"Fine," Neji reluctantly agreed. "Let's just get this over with."

"Wait!" Savanna suddenly gasped. Unlinking her arm from Naruto's, she dashed over to a switch on the wall and flipped off the lights. Quickly, she ran through the now-pitch-black room and returned to her spot next to Naruto. "Sorry about that," she apologized. "Scary stories can't be told unless it's completely dark... Am I right? Anyway, continue on with your story, Neji."

What in the world am I going to say...? Neji wondered. "Alright... Hmm... Let's see..."

Naruto's loud voice pierced through the darkness. "Hurry up... I wanna hear this!"

"Don't rush me, Naruto," Neji snapped. After pausing to think about it for a moment, Neji opened his mouth to speak. "It was a dark and rainy night."

Naruto, for the second time, interrupted the storyteller. "Dude... This is boooooorrrinngggg!"

Paying no attention to Savanna's resulting snicker, Neji attempted yet again to follow through with his story. "It was a dark and rainy night. A family of four sat huddled together in a small, remote cottage. The storm made the cottage cold, and... they had nothing to do except... erm... play cards."

"Come on, Ne—" Naruto attempted to interrupt again, but Deidara elbowed him in the gut to shut him up. To everyone in the room, it slowly started to appear that Naruto was beginning to annoy Deidara, but definitely not as much as Tobi did. Fortunately, Naruto got the third message and clamped his mouth shut.

Clearing his throat after thinking for a moment, Neji decided to continue after a few seconds of silence. "...As they were playing their cards, a flash of lightning lit up the house for a split second, followed by bang of thunder. This particular part of the storm was a bit different," he continued. "A few seconds after the sudden burst, five slow and steady knocks were sounded from the front door."
Neji paused again and waited, just in case someone needed to speak before he continued. After no one had broken the silence, he took a deep breath, and the words eventually came from his lips once again.

"The small family directed their attention towards the door, curious as to why there would be someone knocking at their door in the middle of the night during the storm. Especially since they were one of very few that lived in the area their cottage sat in. After staring at the door for a moment or two, another flash of lightning came from the clouds, giving the family just enough light to see the door being swung open by a silhouette that looked faintly like... a very thin, tall, human sized.. sushi roll."

Before Sammy could burst out laughing at the thought of a giant roll of sushi pounding on their door in the middle of a storm, the Hyuga continued. "It only resembled a large sushi roll at first glance because it looked to be coated with sticky rice," Neji explained. "The kids were scared and hid behind their parents. Silence followed for a couple of minutes after that... but that wasn't the end. Once another flash of lightning could be seen, the figure was inside of the house, closer to the family. Too terrified to do anything about the strange sushi-looking... thing, the four stayed silent and only stared.

"The same pattern followed a couple of times until the figure was right next to them...Very quiet growls could be heard coming from the odd creature. It wasn't long before a sticky hand reached out and snatched one of the children, sucking it into the... raw... fish."

As the boy continued to tell the story, the sushi-roll monster thing (no one ever actually got the chance to see what it actually was) eventually snatched and technically ate each family member. He told it in a much more graphic way. After one of the family members was taken, he explained the next one with much more detail, leaving the four listeners gaping in Neji's direction, their jaws dropping to the floor.

Even Deidara.

"...The End," Neji finished awkwardly.

"...Duuuuuuuuuude," Naruto breathed, clinging onto Savanna with fear. "You said you didn't have any experience!"

"I don't..." Neji told the blonde boy again truthfully.

"But that was frickin' scary! How did you come up with that? I won't be able to sleep tonight!" Naruto shuddered, replaying the basics of the odd story in his head. "Are you sure you haven't been attacked by a giant sushi roll and aren't retelling your story?"

"If I was retelling my story, then I wouldn't be here, Naruto," Neji pointed out.

Interrupting the whole group's conversation, a large flash of lightning lit up the room through the windows, followed by a crash of thunder. Exactly what happened in the beginning of the story. Sammy, something she did whenever she found herself in an awkward or creepy situation, began to laugh nervously. "That... that was just a coincidence... wasn't it?" she gulped, her laugh dying down not too long after it began.

"It has to have been, un," Deidara murmured, folding his arms. "That story was completely fictional—"

He was silenced as five slow and steady knocks could be heard from the door that stood a few yards away from them.

All five of the teenagers stared at the door (as they had gotten fairly used to the dark). Completely enveloped in their fear, they could barely remember what happened after this in the story, but they certainly remembered how terrifying it was.

And all five of the horrified teenagers screamed bloody murder once another flash of lightinng allowed them to see the door being swung open, revealing a silhouette that looked exactly like what Neji described; a tall, thin, human sized sushi roll. Continuing to scream like everyone else, Sammy couldn't help but grip onto Neji in a tight hug, thanks to her fear. Naruto did the exact same thing to Savanna, holding her in a death grip as he stared at the demented looking figure that still stood out by the door.

Suddenly, a click could be heard and the light turned on above them, revealing what actually stood in front of them- an extremely muddy, sticky looking sleeping bag that surrounded Tobi, who had turned on the light, which was right next to the door. "It's not raining, but it's so lightning-y and thundery and Tobi's scared!" he cried, bouncing up and down at the doorstep.

Relief flooded over the circle of shinobi, but no one made a peep; their earlier fear rendered them paralyzed, so they did nothing but stare at Tobi. Soon, Savanna eventually noticed that she was gripping Naruto almost as strongly as he was gripping her, and she almost screamed out loud (not out of fear, of course). Neji also gradually became aware of Sammy's arms tightly wrapped around his torso, and a heat rose from his cheeks- something that rarely ever happened.

I wonder if I can snake my arms around her without her noticing, Neji thought. Wait, no... What am I thinking? That would be something Naruto would do, not me. What has gotten into me?

But the only person who didn't appear to be stricken with fear was Deidara.

Instead, he appeared to be bristling with anger.

In unison, the two cousins thought, Oh, boy.

While everyone else remained frozen on the carpet, Deidara shot up in a flash, his teeth gritted and his fists clenched. His gaze was as sharp as a blade, and it was centered directly on Tobi.

"Tobiiiiii," he growled. "You scared the crap out of us, un! You're filthy, and you have the gall to come inside when you're getting mud all over the floor? And when I TOLD YOU NOT TO BOTHER ME? Hm?!"

At Deidara's menacing tone, Tobi immediately straightened up, becoming as frozen as the rest of the people in the room. When he spoke, the shaking in his voice was apparent. "I-I'm sorry, Deidara-senpai!" he apologized. "I... I was just r-really scared! Honest! I couldn't take it anymore! I thought w-wolves were going to eat me!"

If possible, Deidara's expression darkened even further. "You hear thunder, and you think of wolves?! There aren't even wolves in the Leaf, un! You are such an IDIOT!"

Man, Akatsuki members can be so scary, Naruto thought, tightening his hold on Savanna. Even when they're not hunting me down!

Too scared to form any words, Tobi remained standing in the entryway, his entire body shaking from head to toe. The resulting silence enveloping the room was deafening.

Finally, Deidara spoke once more, reaching for the satchel on his waist. The low timbre of his voice was sufficient enough to send anyone running for their lives. This... was his Akatsuki voice.

"For that, un, you shall pay. Cower in the beauty of my art, you imbecile."

Although Savanna was scared out of her mind at the moment, seeing Deidara in his full-on Akatsuki mode gave her the chills (in a strangely good way). It was exactly like watching him battle Sasuke all over again. She mentally slapped herself when she felt the urge to fangirl. Wasn't she supposed to be scared, and only scared?

"AHHHHHH! NO, NO!" Tobi screamed. Unfreezing himself, he started to bounce around in an attempt to escape through the front door. However, because of the mud now coating the floor of the foyer, Tobi subsequently slipped and crashed to the tile. But that didn't stop him- Still encased in the muddy sleeping bag, the orange-masked boy desperately thrashed around in the general direction of the front door, although he wasn't getting anywhere at all.

The corners of Deidara's lips curled upwards in an unsettling smile- not a smirk, a smile- as he revealed a large, clay spider from his pouch. "This'll do it... Hmm," he murmured, almost to himself. His blue eyes never straying from his colleague, he dropped the spider on the ground and laughed quietly as it started to crawl towards Tobi.

This is getting creepier and creepier by the minute! Naruto inwardly cried. Is this guy insane, or what? …Heh. Well, of course he is. He's part of the Akatsuki!

By this point, Tobi had miraculously managed to somehow make it through the door and onto the front lawn, although he wasn't far from the house. However, his efforts were to no avail; Deidara's spider soon reached Tobi and wriggled its way into his sleeping bag. As a result, the muddy Akatsuki member proceeded to scream at the top of his lungs as if he was heading towards his death bed... which was actually a possibility.

Deidara's eyes widened slightly, and his unsettling smile grew. "Heh, heh... My art will always prevail, un! ...KATSU!"

As soon as Deidara's command was given, a large boom could be heard from the front yard, along with Tobi's pained scream. Savanna no longer liked seeing this side of Deidara, and as a result, her body started to involuntarily shake. After a closer inspection of the outside, she was relieved to find out that Tobi was still alive- she could still read his thoughts, after all.

After a minute of everyone holding their breaths, reason seemed to return to Deidara's eyes as he lowered himself to the carpet once more. "Finally, un," he muttered. When nobody responded, he raised his eyes and cast them around the entire circle. "...What?"

Out of breath from all of the terror she had just gone through, Sammy leaned her head against Neji's shoulder to get a minute to contain herself. And just then, she actually grew aware of the position she was in.

Sammy lifted her head up with a jolt and released Neji, her cheeks almost as crimson as blood. Almost hesitantly, she scooted a few inches away from him. What she had just done was very enjoyable, but made made her feel like such a fool. That was the most embarrassing thing I have ever done, she thought, wishing she would just shrivel up and blow away. How could I not notice that there was no space between Neji and me? How? He probably thinks I'm crazy... "S-sorry," she stammered, staring down at her lap. "I didn't realize..."

Before Neji could reply, Naruto cut in while in a completely different conversation. "What? That's all you have to say after blowing up your comrade? WHAT?!" Naruto bursted, and he would've thrown his hands in the air if he weren't hugging Savanna with such a tight grip. "My poor, dear Savanna is shaking right now! What do you have to SAY for yourself, young man?!"

Deidara stared at him for a moment, Naruto's words not seeming to phase him at all. "How I reacted was completely necessary, un," he said. "The kid deserved it."

"Savanna is SHAKING!" Naruto wailed, loud enough to awaken the whole village. He just barely tightened his grip around the girl make his point more clear. "She is shaking, my poor, dear Savanna! Say you're sorry! Right this instant!"

"Sorry," Deidara apologized after shifting his gaze towards said person. "I didn't mean to scare you. Hmm."

"You better have not meant to scare her!" the Jinchuriki cried. "Otherwise, I would've killed you! You're lucky you're alive, Deidaraaaa... what's your last name?"

Neji found this pause to be the perfect time to answer Sammy while at the same time letting the other conversation continue. "That's alright," he assured her, the familiar words making Sammy feel like she had humiliated herself too much already in this world. He gazed over at her, silently wishing she would come back. "I was a bit frightened by Tobi's sudden appearance, as well."

His statement didn't make the blonde feel any better. A strange weight that sat in her stomach wouldn't lift from the embarrassment. Yep, she confirmed. He thinks I'm crazy. I knew I would make myself seem like a lunatic somehow if I ever got into this world. All Sammy did to reply was direct a nod towards him sheepishly as she mentally detonated herself.

"I can't believe you wouldn't even consider blowing Tobi up quietly," Naruto gasped, glaring in Deidara's direction. "I just can't believe it. It was so loud that Savanna began to shake. SHAKE!"

At this point, Deidara still looked as deadpan as ever. If Tobi replaced Naruto and was speaking these words, he would be screwed. "I already said I'm sorry, un," Deidara murmured. "Isn't that enough?"

"Of course it's not enough," Naruto scowled. "It's not even near enough. Go bake her a cake."

"I don't think that would be necessary. Hm," Deidara sighed.

"Neither would blowing Tobi up loudly. You scared Savanna! I do not approve of you," he growled. "Go bake her a cake."

Savanna couldn't help it; Naruto's order was so completely ridiculous that a smile broke across her face, and a laugh escaped from her. At least Naruto didn't figure out that Deidara was the one scaring me, not the explosion, she thought. Deidara was acting really creepy, to put it lightly...

Naruto turned his head to stare at Savanna, and his close proximity made her stomach tighten. "Why are you laughing?" he questioned astonishingly. "His explosion made you SHAKE! Anybody who does that to you deserves to be punished!"

"No, Naruto," Savanna quickly spoke up. "It's fine, really! It wasn't just him... It was also Neji's story and Tobi. Deidara doesn't need to bake me a cake." Much to her relief, she saw Deidara's expression relax out of the corner of her eye.

Naruto's eyes wavered with uncertainty. "Are you... sure?"

"Positive," Savanna replied. After pausing for a moment to gather up her courage, she added, "And, um... Thanks for holding me. It was comforting..."

She liked it? Naruto excitedly thought. Hehe... Me, too... So the mood wouldn't turn awkward, Naruto released his grip around Savanna. "No problem! I was just worried that he" -Naruto pointedly glared at Deidara- "scared you too much. Heh... I wasn't scared at all. No wayyy."

Savanna resisted the urge to roll her eyes. It's pretty stinkin' obvious that he was one of the most horrified people here, she thought. Talking a moment to pay attention to what was going on between Neji and Sammy, she frantically yelled at the latter in her head. Sammay, open your eyes and read Neji's mind! He doesn't think you're weird at all! In fact, he liked it when you were hugging him! Oh my gosh... That was so romantic... Asdfghjkl!

"Well," Deidara said, standing up and taking the few steps necessary to reach the couch, "I think I'm going to go to sleep, now, un. It's very late, and that moron and I need to return to the hideout tomorrow."

Savanna smiled at Deidara, desperately wishing that he didn't hate her for what Naruto did before. "Alright... Don't think too much about what Naruto said. He didn't even know what he was saying."

Naruto's eyes immediately widened, and he swiveled around to stare at Savanna once more. "HEY!"

Just to let him know that she wasn't entirely serious, Savanna shushed Naruto and sent him a small wink.

Deidara's usual smirk was present on his face, and Savanna took it as a good sign that he didn't harbor any harsh feelings towards her. "Don't worry," he reassured her. "I don't listen to what Jinchuriki have to say, anyway. Hmm." Lying down on the couch, he rested his head on a pillow, making his blonde bangs spill into his eyes.

Naruto's earlier anger returned as soon as it left. "WHAT did you just say? Jinchurki are people, too, ya know!"

Deidara didn't reply; his lips merely curled upwards in a small smile as he closed his eyelids. Savanna couldn't help but note how peaceful and innocent he looked, contrary to his frightening appearance a few minutes ago. Quietly, she rose from her spot on the floor and made her way over to the light switch on the wall. Ignoring the layer of dried mud coating the switch, she flipped off the lights and plopped herself on one of the sleeping bags. "We should probably go to sleep, too," she suggested. "I'm getting pretty tired, myself."

Naruto stood up immediately after he registered the words that escaped from Savanna's lips, grinning as he strode over to her. Letting out a yawn that sounded almost fake, he plopped down right next to Savanna. "Yeah," he said cheekily. "I am, too..."

Slowly, he inched closer and closer towards her, even though he was at quite a close position in the first place. Neji nearly rolled his eyes at the Jinchuriki; his attempts at getting closer to Savanna (in this situation, literally) could not be any more obvious.

At this point, Sammy looked extremely calm as she stared at the vacant sleeping bag. But her actual emotions that showed themselves on the inside were quite different... In fact, they were the opposite of the feelings she portrayed.

I... have to share a sleeping bag with Neji, she thought, both excitement and anxiety dancing through her sea blue eyes. A sleeping bag. A sleeping bag is meant for one person, not two. We're gonna be right next to each other. There will be... no space in between us.

Her stomach proceeded to complete twists and turns, rolling or flipping occasionally. I can't handle this... I'm going to explode, Sammy continued to think, her cheeks lighting up, making her grateful that the lights had been switched off. Do I have time to contain myself before I actually have to get in it with him? Gah... I'm freaking out... Savanna said to read his mind, right? Haven't I been doing that?

The more she thought about it, the more she realized that she actually hadn't been reading Neji's mind. Even though she had convinced herself that he practically despised her but was only being polite, she actually wasn't aware of his thoughts on her. Unnoticeably, she focused on his mind.

I wonder what she's thinking right now, Neji thought, gazing over at the outline of the blonde (he couldn't see her as well, since it was dark). Does she want to share a sleeping bag with me? I hope she's alright with it... because I definitely am...

Just that thought made her want to scream. WHAT?! she thought, standing up. "I have to go to the bathroom... I'll be right back," she lied, hurrying up the stairs and into the facilities. Once she got in, she practically slammed the door and began to silently fangirl, bouncing and flailing around. If only I could make noise without them hearing me, she thought, beginning to pull herself together. How could the most simple sentence make someone so happy?

After a minute or so of fangirling, Sammy made sure she didn't look like crap in the mirror, took a deep breath, and exited the bathroom, beginning to walk down the stairs and into the living room once more.

Savanna almost laughed at her cousin's behavior, and she would have done so if her attention wasn't focused on Naruto's scooting. Before she knew it, her side was pressed against his, and a blush threatened to rise within her cheeks. What was the point of scooting so close when they were about to share a sleeping bag, anyway?

"Um... What are you doing?" Savanna hesitantly inquired.

Oddly enough, Naruto didn't appear to be the least bit embarrassed for his actions. "I'm just seeing if we can both fit inside the sleeping bag," he claimed. He suddenly looked down as if that was really his intention. "Yep... It looks like we can! Hehe."

Naruto is such a bad liar, Savanna thought with a sigh. "If you're trying to see if we'll both fit," she said, "then why don't we just get inside and see for ourselves?" Holy crap, she thought. How am I able to be so confident? It's not like my usual self... But I don't mind.

Naruto grinned in response. "Great idea!" Before Savanna could utter a response, the giddy Uzumaki slid inside the sleeping bag and patted the small space next to him.

Those simple actions of his sent Savanna over the edge, and her cheeks flared as hot as a fire; her blush was so intense that it could be detected even in the darkness of the living room.

It was so intense that even Naruto noticed.

Whoa, thought said ninja. She's blushing so much! Does that mean that she feels the same way about sharing a sleeping bag? Hehe... I sure hope so! Amongst his elated thoughts, a dark possibility crossed Naruto's mind. But what if she's blushing because... she doesn't want to share with me?

Afraid that she would fangirl out loud if she read Naruto's thoughts, Savanna concentrated on keeping her act together as she slowly lifted the flap of the sleeping bag. Feeling the gaze of Naruto's blue eyes through the darkness, she took her time wriggling inside.

Once Savanna was fully situated inside the sleeping bag, the warmth from Naruto's strong body dizzied her greatly. I can't believe I'm doing this, she thought. Naruto feels so... real... so good...

When Savanna opened her mouth at a feeble attempt to joke around, her voice sounded a little faint. "Well, it looks like we do fit, Naruto," she remarked. "Perfectly, if I might add..."

By this point, Sammy had reached the other sleeping bag positioned next to Naruto and Savanna, and a hint of anxiety began to bloom inside of Neji. If Hiashi (or moreover, any part of his family) knew what he was about to do with a girl he had only known for one day, he was fairly certain it would result in a severe scolding. The Hyuga clan followed strict and formal rules, those of which did not include sharing a sleeping bag with a girl. But for some reason, when Neji reminded himself that the girl was Sammy, his fears started to subside. She wasn't just any ordinary girl to him... He felt like she was familiar, as if he had known her for a long time. Although Neji was given only one day to bond with her, he could sense vibes of honesty (to a certain extent) and pure goodness emanating from her.

And not only that... but he trusted her.

To earn Neji's trust was an incredible feat alone, and once one had it, it was difficult for Neji to feel otherwise. So when his stomach churned at the thought of what he was about to do, he merely reminded himself that if he could choose a girl to be in the sleeping bag with him, he would choose Sammy... and his anxiety diffused as quickly as a switch being flipped off.

Now feeling almost completely calm, Neji lifted the flap of the sleeping bag and directed his gaze to the silhouette of Sammy. "After you," he offered, gesturing to the empty sleeping bag with his hand.

Sammy stared at the sleeping bag for a moment, right when she thought she had gotten all of her excitement out when she practically exploded in fangirl in the bathroom. She was proven wrong once her cheeks grew to be a bright crimson, and she only got redder once she imagined what Neji would think if he could actually see her. I don't even know what he would think, she thought, making herself snap back into reality and slide into the sleeping bag. But there's a fifty percent chance of it being embarrassing for me and another fifty percent chance for it to make me very extremely happy. I think.

I can't even talk... If I do, then I'll scream, Sammy thought as she finally was fully inside. The sleeping bag is already warm...how warm is it gonna be when Neji's fully inside? Wait, what am I even thinking?

As Neji slithered into the sleeping bag after her, a rare but faint pink arose on his cheeks, as well. I wonder what she's thinking right now, he thought, glancing over towards her every few seconds. Sometimes, I wish I could read minds... Then a lot of things could be much, much easier...

Once both of them were inside, lying down while it was completely zipped up, Sammy was afraid she would literally begin to freak out right then and there because of how hard it was to contain herself. Being the accident prone girl she was, it was a very probable incident.

"...Well," Neji said in attempt to break the ice. "We fit..."

"Mmhmm," Sammy replied, her laughter threatening to spill out. In an awkward situation, it was the only thing she felt that was left to do... Even though, this time, she felt that right then was the worst time to start laughing. Fortunately for her, she managed to gulp her giggles down.

"Well, that's a relief," Naruto chuckled, bringing the awkward silence to a halt in the room. "I was afraid my ripped body would fill up the sleeping bag and squish the both of us! I'm so glad that isn't the case, though... Aren't you?"

As those words were leaving his mouth, he slowly began to snake his arms around Savanna, not caring if she noticed or not. This is perfect! he thought joyously as he brought her closer towards his body. I don't think I could be happier.

Of course, Savanna did notice Naruto's arms encircling her body, and she was forced to give it her all in order to prevent herself from doing anything out of the ordinary (squealing, squirming, etc.). Breathe, Savanna, breathe, she told herself. Do not freak out... It's nothing that extraordinary. His arms are around you... That's all.

After another moment of trying to calm herself down, Savanna quickly realized it was futile, and a smile broke out across her face. Yeah, right! she thought. Who am I kidding? Naruto Uzumaki's arms are around me! He's hugging me... voluntarily! I can't believe it!

ASDFGHJKL.

As Naruto was expecting a response from the girl in his arms, his confusion peaked when no answer was given. Immediately, he lowered his eyes to her complexion, and through the darkness enveloping the room, he could make out her elated smile. As if her grin was contagious, Naruto mirrored her smile and leaned ever so closer.

"What is it?" he questioned. Naruto's smirk growing the slightest bit, he lowered his voice so it was nothing more than a murmur floating past Savanna's ear. "Do you... like sharing a sleeping bag with me?"

At Naruto's flirtatious approach, Savanna's smile widened, and her inner fangirl threatened to take over. I've really got to cut it out, she thought. I need to stop thinking so much about everything. I've just got to... answer!

"Of course I do," she replied. "I suggested- OOF!"

Taking her completely by surprise, Savanna totally forgot what she was going to say when a heavy body suddenly crushed the air out of her.

Wh-What just happened? Savanna frightfully thought, beginning to squirm in an attempt to escape from under the body. However, as she was encased in Naruto's arms, her struggles were to no avail, and she soon found herself gasping for air.

"WHAAAAAA!" Naruto yelled in surprise. His reflexes kicking in after a few seconds, he unwrapped his arms from Savanna and pushed (a little too forcefully) the limp body off onto the carpet. "Are you alright? What the heck just happened?"

Allowing herself to calm down for a moment, Savanna swiveled her head around to stare at the dark silhouette a foot away. At first, she remained as puzzled as Naruto.

But when she eyed the empty couch... she burst out laughing.

"It's... It's okay, Naruto," she gasped out between her giggles. "It was... Deidara! He rolled off the couch... and on top of me... in his sleep! Hahaha!"

When the truth was revealed, a sigh escaped from Neji. "So much drama," he muttered. Although his words were condescending, amusement could be detected in his tone. "Naruto's reaction just made everything worse..."

"What do you mean... my reaction?!" Naruto repeated. "I was just scared that Savanna might have gotten hurt... That's all!"

"Although its not unlikely that you really would be," said Neji, "It's so obvious that you're lying..."

"What?! NO WAY!"

Neji wasn't one to prolong an argument, so at Naruto's response, he merely smirked to himself and kept quiet.

"Neji, you bum," Naruto muttered, and those three words only made the Hyuga's smirk grow larger. "Whatever... I'm not listening to him! The important thing is that dumb Deidara gets back onto the dumb couch and doesn't hurt Savanna again."

At this point... Sammy was silently dying in the small amount of space she had, unable to hold her laugher in. If one saw her, one would probably think she was hyperventilating, since she was trembling and her hands were covering her face. Everything is just... so overwhelming! she thought, only laughing harder (despite the fact that the room ceased the sound of her laughter). I can't handle it! Between Neji and Deidara... I'm going to explode!

Glancing over towards the blonde, Neji smirked to himself and automatically found her laughter amusing, even though all he could see of her was a faint silhouette that was mainly plunged in darkness. He could definitely feel her as she lightly shook thanks to the never ending laughter, though, and completely dismissed the stress he had been feeling before. At first, he was worried about staying the night, but now...

He didn't regret it at all.

"Stupid Deidara, that little..." Naruto trailed off, continuing to mumble a string of words that definitely had something to do with Deidara. Reluctantly wriggling from the sleeping bag, he stood up and picked up the dead weight from the floor by his shirt and nearly threw him back onto the couch once more. "I swear he's awake..." the orange boy continued, folding his arms stubbornly. "He was trying to pull something, wasn't he? And after all, who wouldn't wake up after falling? And after I picked them up and threw them? Huh?"

Huffing for the umpteenth time, Naruto sat back down and slid into the sleeping bag, delighted to be greeted by Savanna's warmth again. The past events flew by his head like they never happened once he fully remembered that he was sharing a sleeping bag with Savanna and that she said she enjoyed it. Because he did, too. For sure.

"Sorry about that," Naruto drawled once he was completely inside once again. "Deidara's an odd ball, isn't he?"

At that sentence, the blonde boy proceeded to snake his arms around the slender girl once again, glad to be in this position for a second time. This couldn't get any better! he thought, unable to prevent the grin that made its way onto his lips. Well... it would be pretty cool if we kissed or something, buuuuuuut... I don't wanna rush things!

Sammy's laughter didn't take long to die down, but the everlasting smile was still on her face. How could Deidara not be woken up by all of this? she thought, closing her eyes. I would. I'm such a light sleeper... Hopefully, I won't get woken up too much by Neji!

...

Wait.

I'm sharing a sleeping bag... with Neji.

Once she processed the thought again, she abruptly stiffened in her spot in the sleeping bag. I'm not taking up all of the sleeping bag, am I? He can probably feel my heartbeat... it's going nuts! He totally knows I like him... Hopefully, he isn't aware of how much...

Neji grew a bit concerned once he felt the girl tense in her position right next to them, but his worries quickly blew away before anything was noticeable. Sammy was considerably close to him... So close that he could probably wrap his arm around her waist without her noticing—

Why am I thinking like this again? Neji thought to himself, mentally shaking his head. These thoughts are completely and utterly ridiculous...

Even though he was mentally scolding himself, those feelings of disapproval about himself soon left, as well. He was captivated in the proximity of their bodies. Normally, he would feel very uncomfortable, but with Sammy... it was different. The feelings were strange and unfamiliar, and he couldn't believe how much they were confusing him. It meant that he was practically confusing himself as each second ticked by. Why was he feeling so attached to her after they only met a few hours previously? What was so intriguing about her that made him want to know more about her? What was she hiding? What exactly did his feelings mean?

He enjoyed the closeness. For some reason, he wanted to bring her even closer. And he knew that the answers to most of his unanswered questions were the cause of all of this.

Meanwhile, Sammy wished he would bring her closer. She wished he would feel the same way, and she wished that she could just calm down. Resisting the urge to feel Neji to make sure he was real was extremely hard. Resisting the urge to completely break out in a fit of squeals, screams and giggles was extremely hard. And resisting the urge to attack the boy with a hug was the hardest.

And of course, resisting meant that she had to stay completely still. Her least favorite thing to do, and the thing she was probably the least talented at doing.

Savanna barely registered Naruto's question, for she became majorly distracted by his arms encircling her once more. I'm pressed against him, she thought dreamily. When will I stop savoring everything in this world?

After a few seconds of recuperating, she probably would have been capable of replying to the Uzumaki if it wasn't for his thoughts about... a kiss.

Involuntarily, her eyes flashed to his lips in the darkness; their close proximity only allowed her to barely make out their outline. And because of her shock due to his thoughts, her mind went completely blank for a good, long moment.

Since this lack of a response from Savanna's part was not the first, Naruto jumped to conclusions... again. She didn't answer me the last time I held her, he observed. Heh... She must be so distracted by my buff arms. "Savanna?" he prodded, his grin never faltering.

Savanna finally tore her eyes away from Naruto's lips as the sound of his voice startled her back into reality. "...Oh," she breathed, barely making a sound. "Yeah... Deidara's strange sometimes... Haha. It's a wonder he didn't wake up..." Cautiously, very cautiously, she pressed herself ever so slightly to his body, deriving pleasure from his strong arms around her.

Meanwhile, Sammy wasn't the only one resisting her urge to give in to her desires. The Hyuga sharing her sleeping bag remained oblivious to the discourse between Naruto and Savanna- his thoughts were completely focused on the feel of Sammy's warmth.

I wish she would feel relaxed with me, he thought, his earlier fears quickly returning. What can I do... to make her more comfortable? As he pondered more about it, he almost scolded himself when he came up with a resolution not far off from something Naruto would do.

And before Neji's conscience could remind him that it was a reckless decision, like it usually did, Neji promptly ignored it and draped one of his arms around Sammy's waist.

"You seem cold," he coolly explained (no pun intended). But despite his calm, soft tone, his thoughts were nothing short of a twister at the moment. In the past, Neji had rarely established contact with a female- and those rare times were only when he was training with Hinata. But to touch a girl like this... it was a completely foreign experience, and it was so unlike Neji that it made him question whether or not he really knew himself.

For now... still ignoring his conscience begrudging his actions, Neji resolved to enjoy the moment and relish in the feel of the new, wonderful feelings within him.

She's totally mesmerized by how strong I am! Naruto thought cockily, barely resisting the urge to flex his biceps. "I know," the blonde boy agreed, tightening his arms around her. "I even threw him onto the couch, and he didn't even stir!"

Naruto's perky statement did not match his facial expression as he barely raised his head to look at the limp body of Deidara a foot or two away from him. The boy who was practically dead lay in a position that didn't look too comfortable; he was sprawled face down on the couch, and his long hair was everywhere... one leg barely on the cushion. But yet, his breathing was still steady, and he slept undisturbed.

The Jinchuriki's eyes narrowed at the sight of the Akatsuki member. "He was so trying to pull something..." Naruto muttered, resting his head next to Savanna's once more. "But I would never let that happen, because you're mine."