Sakura, now hiding in the safety of her room, mentally beat herself against the wall. How could she have done that? Itachi had not objected to the unplanned kiss, but she would not expect him to. What she could never have expected was the warmth of butterflies fluttering in her stomach she now had. Surprising even more than this was the carnal heat pooling together in an area a little below her flustered stomach.
It was night again, and she knew that it was getting late. Itachi must have known that she was bothered by the fact that she had kissed him, because he had yet to come and retrieve her. Sakura still intended to spend the night with him, because she would not sleep properly if she did not. Knowing him, he was probably waiting for her even then, lounging on his large bed with a book.
She sighed, knowing it was not right for her to keep him waiting as she was. He must have been tired, just as much as she was, considering he had gotten about as much sleep as she had. That being none at all. She could trust him, Sakura was certain he would never do something she would not like, or was not prepared for, but she still felt anxious about going to his room. She should not have been thinking about him at all, but she was. Sakura felt that she was betraying Sasuke, but had to tell herself that Sasuke was a freaking douche. He had betrayed her, and now she was healing from that.
Itachi's words from the other night rang through her head. If we ever do this, it will not be now, and it will not be in the way you think you want it. He truly believed they would make love at some point in time, which should have bothered her. The logical part of Sakura knew that he was right, because Itachi was always right. He knew what he was doing, even though he claimed he had never felt as he did for another woman. Itachi would always win, because he had his head on straight, but mostly because of his heritage. The Uchiha did have a constant urge to control their surroundings, she knew that much.
Before she could allow herself to drift into slumber, nor continue in wondering just how much Itachi liked to control, Sakura got to her feet. In her exhaustion, she stumbled out of her bedroom, and down the hall. All was silent, and she knew that she, and assumedly Itachi, were the only ones awake. Sakura stood before his door for a moment, trying to think of just what to say to him, when it opened. She lowered her hand, which she had raised to knock, and looked up at him nervously.
His eyes were soft and almost uncertain, and he gently took one of her hands to lead her into his room. She stepped in, never looking away from his beautiful eyes, and the sooty eyelashes that caressed his cheeks delicately. She was slightly jealous that a man was so unbearably good looking, but it ran in his family. Sakura could not blame him for his fortunate genetics.
"I was beginning to think you were not coming, koishii." Itachi whispered, concern laced into every word. She felt bad for making him worry, and gave him a small smile. She did not want to tell him she had been nervous to return to his room after the kiss, but he seemed to relay that thought through her eyes.
He huffed softly, then gave her a small peck on the bridge of her nose. "Koishii, I would never do something that you did not want me to." He murmured, slipping two strong arms around her body. Sakura blushed slightly, but knew she had nothing to be concerned over. Itachi was a man of honor, despite his horrible past, and would do anything to uphold his own self pride.
"I know, Itachi. I am sorry you had to wait for me. You must be just as tired as I am." Sakura mumbled, reaching up to touch her fingers to the dark shadows under his eyes. Itachi watched her do this, and on impulse, he stooped his face down to her level, leaving only centimeters between their lips.
"Koishii, if you do not want me to do this, then tell me." He uttered, his mouth moving slowly closer to hers. It scared Sakura, but she did want him to kiss her. She wanted to feel his velvety lips move against hers like satin, to breath in his wonderful, earthy scent, to feel every muscle of his chest and shoulders sensitized under her fingers. It should not be, she told herself, she should not ever be with Uchiha Itachi, the brother of the man she had loved most of her life, but there was nothing she could do to stop it. It was simply happening.
"I do want this, Itachi." She breathed softly, her arms reaching up around his neck, pulling him through the remaining distance between their mouths. Her bright, innocent eyes slowly drooped shut as she melted against him, becoming nothing more than a puddle of pink and white in his arms. He could feel it flowing from her body into his, Itachi easily sensed how much she wanted to be with him, even if she thought it was going against Sasuke.
Itachi could not be satisfied by the simple lip lock; no, he wanted more. Perhaps more than what she was ready to give him. He slowly ran his tongue along the seem of her mouth, begging for entrance. She gasped in surprise, but Itachi did not take advantage of this, instead waiting for her to show her way of accepting his actions.
Sakura drank in his sweet breath, and her tongue went to meet his. With permission now, his tongue divulged into her mouth, gliding sensually against hers. She could not believe that this was happening, but she felt no urge to stop it. She enjoyed how it felt when he slid his hot, wet tongue along with hers, how it felt when his slender hands rested comfortably on her back in support, how it felt when he let her run her fingers through his silky hair.
Unable to suppress it, Sakura mewled into his mouth with each motion he made. Itachi tilted his head, angling himself so he had more access to her cavern, taking pride in every moan that sounded from deep in her throat. He swallowed the yearning noises she uttered, indulging in her sweet taste. Minutes past, but it felt like no more than a second to either of them.
Itachi knew it was a second too long though, when she sensually lifted her hips to meet him, her legs wrapping around him effectively. She whined when he pulled them apart, her eyes scrunching up in confusion. She had been enjoying how he made her feel.
"It is already late, koishii. Come to bed." He whispered, pulling her in the direction of his bed. She nodded, agreeing that it was late enough as it was, and they both needed proper sleep for once. He pulled up the sheets and slipped under, Sakura following shortly after. She sighed into his arms glad that she did not have to tell him to hold her this time around. Slowly, she fell into a deep sleep, at total peace in Itachi's strong hold.
Itachi glanced over her sleeping form, watching as her shoulders rose and fell with each intake of air. She was beautiful, breathtakingly so, and it had been hard to stop her. She had feelings for him, that much was certain, but she was still beyond confused. Until she had her mind set straight, until he was sure that there was no lingering thoughts of Sasuke, he could not go any further with her than he had. He would not take advantage of her confusion, he wanted whatever happened between them to be authentic.
Sakura woke earlier than usual, happy that there had not been any interruptions last night when she slept. There had been no haunting dreams of Sasuke and their supposed child, and so she opened her eyes to a firmly defined chest. A blush spread across her face; yesterday, he had gotten up before she did, saving her the embarrassment she now endured. Slowly, she moved her head to see his face. Itachi watched her as she did so with no small amount of amusement, seeing when her cheeks burned red and eyes widened in shock.
He was awake, was the only thing her mind allowed itself to think. He was unabashed by their positions, but she was not comfortable with how they were currently situated. Her legs were entangled with his, and though it had not bothered her the previous night, his arms rest in the dipping curve of her side, as if it was supposed to be there. Some time while she had been sleeping, she must have twisted in his hold so that she was facing him, and her hand lay on his chest.
Slowly, she sat up, giving Itachi a full look-over, even though she should not have. There was so much beautifully pale skin, with subtle muscles rolling underneath. Sakura wanted to trace every contour of his divine body, to draw edges to his smooth, pristine skin. Everything about him flowed together like silk, everything about his god-like body was absolute perfection.
She was not so much perturbed by the fact that their two forms seemed to mold together seamlessly, but rather that she felt it was happening all so soon. The first time they kissed, when he had chased after her to her bedroom, had been nearly a month ago, but the way she now felt for him had only recently started. She wondered what he must have thought of her, for her to have fallen for another man after previously been desperately in love with his brother.
Sakura could not deny it, she was attracted to the man. She was falling for another Uchiha, which should have been terrifying, knowing how Sasuke had been when he killed her. It was not though, and that was what was scary to her.
"What are you thinking about, koishii?" Itachi whispered, moving her disheveled hair from her face. He had just seen every possible emotion flicker across her face, and it made him worry. Her eyes shot up from his toned body in surprise, and he met her eyes readily.
Her green orbs darkened slightly in sadness as she answered. "You must think I am the stupidest girl ever born." She muttered, her face tilting downward as she attempted to hide behind pink locks. Itachi's face scrunched up in displeasure, but she did not give him time to tell her otherwise. He did not like how lowly she thought herself.
"I am falling for you, Itachi." Sakura breathed. As soon as she said that, the room became utterly still; he was unsure what to say in response to this, and he did not understand her logic. Did she think it stupid to love him? He did not want her to feel foolish for having any attachment to him, she should be happy about it. Was he that bad of a person, that she wished she did not love him?
Sakura sensed his unasked questions, and continued. "I do not feel stupid for falling for you, Itachi. It is Sasuke that makes me feel so foolish. I was supposed to love him forever, that was why you chose me for him. Now, however, I am in love with you. Am I that easily swayed, that I can change my mind that quickly? I should be loyal to Sasuke, that is what you should have counted on for, but now, when I open my eyes, and you are the first thing I see, I know I have gone behind his back. The sad thing is, I do not even regret it."
"I would not want you to regret anything that happens between us, koishii. Do not think so poorly of yourself, just because of my brother. Whatever feelings he had for you, he relinquished with killing you. You are not bound to him with anything; there is no promise between you and him, there can be no assumption on his part that you will continue to love him. If I think anyone to be foolish, it is not you, but rather my brother, for giving you up." Itachi murmured, reaching a cool hand up to caress her cheek. Sakura took his hand, then moved it to her mouth, kissing the rough palm, and then the tip of each of his long fingers.
He watched as she kissed his hand, somewhat surprised by her actions. His hands, rough from his life as a shinobi, seemed to tingle in every place she decided to kiss, and it was a sensation he was not used to.
"Sasuke did terrible things to me, Itachi. He hurt me in ways that cannot be forgiven, and I honestly hope I never see his face again. The boy he was in konoha has died, slowly strangled by the darkness hidden in his heart. He could never love me, never consider me anything more than a woman to continue the Uchiha clan with. You saw me, however, as a person, someone who needed love and care as much as you did. My only regret is that I had not known you while I was alive; know you as I do now." Sakura said softly, placing his hand down.
Itachi propped himself up onto his elbows, his eyes soft and understanding. This is what Sakura knew she was falling for, it was how he managed to always show he cared. It could be a simple look in his eyes, or him moving the hair out of her face, but he never failed to show her his feelings.
Sakura watched as he took her hand, repeating the actions she had just made, and kissing her soft skin. His mouth could not be kept there, however, it wandered slowly to her wrist, and he kissed her jumping pulse dote fully. His lips steadily kissed its way up the inside of her arm, moving her kimono sleeve out of the way to give himself more room. His mouth then moved back down, until he was kissing her fingertips. She was surprised when his lips parted slightly, and then closed around her pinky finger.
Itachi did this for each of her digits, sucking softly on them, all the while looking up at Sakura as she sat, watching in awe. He finished this, and together, they moved to meet one another. There was no hesitation this time, Sakura opened her mouth for him before he had the chance to ask her to. He instantly dipped his tongue into her mouth, hers meeting his in a frenzy of raw emotion. Only Itachi could make her feel this way, she finally realized.
Even if she was alive, and with Sasuke, it would never be as amazing as it was with Itachi. He was not so demanding, did not force her into doing something she did not wish to do, while she knew Sasuke would never have the same courtesy. Sasuke would order her to do something, and she would have no choice but to obey him. Itachi had the same authority over her, but he would never ask anything of her that he was not already certain she would give him.
With a gasp for air, they broke apart, only seconds later moving back. He made her feel whole, as if a girl like her had the right to be loved. Sasuke had only kissed her once, and it had been only to torment her, while Itachi kissed her because he wanted to relay his feeling to her in a way that could not be otherwise described. This pure, raw emotion he showed only to her, it made her feel special.
She sighed in contentment as the kiss ended with him licking her lips clean of saliva, and she rested her head on his chest, both of them back laying on the bed. She did not deserve for him to treat him as sweetly as he had, even after her original rejection. She did not deserve someone as loyal and determined as he was, but somehow, Sakura knew Itachi was hers.
"See what I mean? I should not be doing this, even though I want to." Sakura shook her head in disapproval for her own actions. Itachi huffed in disagreement to her antics, wishing she would just accept things as they were, instead of fighting the inevitable. A small frown grew on his face, and she giggled at his show of emotion.
"You have to stop saying that about yourself, koishii." He grumbled, slipping out from under the sheets. She huffed, then gave him a small smile, before sliding out of bed behind him. He was right after all, she was too negative, and she was always criticizing herself.
"I am sorry, Itachi. Sometimes I just feel that I do not deserve someone to care so much for me. I know that Sasuke would never have been so thoughtful." She whispered, reaching up to give him one last kiss on the cheek. She needed to sort a few things out in her mind before she could truly be with Itachi. He warranted a better girl than her, one with no emotional baggage. Yet, despite her problems, he still wanted her, so there had to be something redeemable about her.
Without having anything else to say, Sakura left his room, smiling all the while. Karin watched as Sakura walked down the hall and into the bathroom to start her day. She certainly looked happy, that much she could tell. The shower started, and she, for a split second, was sure she heard Sakura singing something. Karin growled to herself, then stomped into the living room.
Deidara was already up, just barely so, when Karin flopped onto the couch and let out a series of animal-like sounds. She was obviously upset, he concluded, and he was positive that it was because of that damned Uchiha. He huffed to himself, and gave the girl a dark look. What was the bid deal about that stupid man? Sure, he had the whole tall, dark, and handsome thing going for him, but did that make him chopped liver? He should hope not.
"As far as girls go, you are pretty dense, aren't you?" He muttered, looking at her through hooded eyes. Karin's eyes lifted in surprise, and she sat up on the couch with a straight back. She did not understand what his point was, but she did not like his tone, that much she was sure.
"What the hell makes you think that?" She shouted back. Karin was not a morning person, and she had practically just lost the man she loved to an emotionally disturbed girl, so she was not in the best of moods. She honestly did not understand how a girl like Sakura, who was an utter mess, could attract a man like Itachi. It made her feel pathetic.
"Why are you so goddamned obsessed with that fucking Uchiha, un? Sure he has the whole dark thing going for him, but other than that, he is an ass." Deidara stated, his arms crossed over his chest. Her face reddened, and when he saw the look on her face, Deidara was certain she was going to explode with anger. Perhaps he had gone a little too far for her, he mused.
"He is... because..." Karin earnestly did not know why she felt as she did. Maybe her reasons for liking Itachi were unsound. She had been angry, but her expression softened and when she looked at him again, and she seemed so weakened. Deidara huffed, and rolled his eyes.
"I do not know why I feel as I do." She finally said, pushing her glasses up farther on the bridge of her nose. It was embarrassing to think he was picking apart her head, figuring out that she was a silly, ignorant girl who obsessed over men she did not even know, and was jealous of Sakura because she had qualities she never would.
"There we go. You probably do not even like that bastard at all, un. He always gets women for his damn looks, but he does not care about any of them. You are better off without his stupid ass." Deidara said, shrugging. She giggled at his obvious and blatant envy of Itachi and his uncanny gift of attracting women.
"It sounds like you are jealous of Itachi, Deidara. Do you secretly wish you were tall, dark and handsome like him?" She snickered, laughing at his paled face when he heard what she had to say. A second later, it turned flustered. Even if he were jealous of Itachi's inborn talent to draw those of the female persuasion, he would be the last one to admit as much.
"Like hell, am I jealous of that bastard." He grumbled. Karin laughed, almost certain now that Deidara was most definitely envious of Itachi. The poor, ignored man. Who would ever be pay attention to him when someone like Itachi? Just like how she was ignored when Sakura came around, she realized.
She and Deidara were exactly the same; she had been ignored by both Sasuke and then Itachi for Sakura, while he had been ignored by numerous women during his life for Itachi. Karin should not be always fighting with him, but rather, they should be sticking together, seeing they were in the same situation. She looked at him, and noticed that though he was not the adonis sort of man she fell for, but was still a sight for sore eyes. He certainly was much more built up than Itachi, who was not weak, but more lean then anything. His slenderness was probably what made him so fast as a shinobi.
Karin shook her head, trying to break up the thoughts she just had about the suicide bomber. She had no interest in him, even if his blue eyes were as deep, as earnest as the ocean, and his honey blond hair reminded her of the sun. His skin was tanned healthily, muscles rippling behind with each movement he made. Not that she was looking. Karin would never do that.
"Hey, should you be making breakfast or not? I thought today was your turn." Deidara finally said, interrupting her line of thought. Knowing he was right, she grumbled to herself, she stumbled to her feet, then left for the kitchen without saying anything in response. Honestly, she was terrified of cooking at all, when being compared to Sakura's fine meals, she felt utterly inferior.
Sakura walked into the living room just as Karin left, only barely catching the flustered expression on the redhead's face. She turned to Deidara for some sort of explanation. He frowned for a second, trying to figure out what had just passed for himself, before speaking.
"I think Karin was checking me out, un." He stated, his eyes set together, as if he were still trying to decipher what exactly that entailed. He did not know precisely what had gone down, but he was sure that she was the reason why Itachi had been so insane, grinding video tapes into oblivion. He did not want to be involved with that mess.
Sakura laughed, and then with complete seriousness, told him, "Guard your shower with your life." He tilted his head in confusion, his honey eyebrows knitted together, as if he was thinking too hard.
"Does this have anything to do with Itachi and those tapes?" He asked slowly. A faint blush spread across her face, and that was the only affirmation he needed. "What the hell was that anyway?" He continued in asking. Sakura chuckled nervously, certain that Itachi would not want her telling anyone about how he had been taped while in the shower. Naked in the shower. Naked and wet in the shower.
"Well, yes, it does. It is not in my place to tell you exactly what happened, but I would keep my eyes open if I were you. Be wary of Orochimaru too. He is the one who set it all up." Sakura replied quietly. Deidara thought for a second. If Orochimaru was involved, whatever went down had not been pleasant, knowing the man's Uchiha fetish. Put that with Karin's clear infatuation, it must have been a nightmare.
"Were they taping him in the shower, or something, un?" Deidara finally concluded. She had warned him of the shower, he had seen Itachi destroying tapes, and Orochimaru, or the Fag-Lord, was involved somehow. Sakura blushed, and again, Deidara knew that his guess must have been the correct one.
"You cannot tell anyone anything, Deidara. Itachi will want to kill you if you even knew." Sakura said nervously. It was not her fault if Deidara figured out what Karin had been up to, but Itachi would not be pleased with her, if he knew she had given that away.
Deidara snorted. "Like I am scared of that ass, un. It is not like I can die again." He shrugged with nonchalance. Sakura looked at him, blinking repetitively. She did not think that what he had said was the smartest of things, but Deidara was not one to care what she thought. He was not going to fear someone, merely because they had murdered his entire family at the tender age of thirteen. That was not to say that Sakura feared him either, she knew he had not wanted to harm his family in any way, but he had no choice in the matter.
"Koishii, do you have a good reason for telling him about that?" A voice asked from the doorway. Sakura blanched, turning to face Itachi. Deidara chuckled at the endearment that Itachi had given Sakura, but besides that, did nothing.
"He figured it out on his own. I was just warning him against Karin." Sakura said with as much innocence as she could muster. He saw what she was pulling, and gave her a knowing smirk. She could already tell he was going to punish her for Deidara finding out. For some reason, Sakura had the impression that whatever he planned to punish her with, it would not be something she would object to.
"Well, I suppose I cannot give you a complete penalty for him figuring it out, but..." The sentence hung above their heads unfinished. Sakura gulped. Deidara growled in frustration at the sexual tension between them.
"If you two are going to fuck, can you not do it in here?" He asked dryly. Sakura tossed the coffee table at his head, only missing by a few inches. A dark flush burned her cheeks, and when Deidara took the chance, he saw that there was a slight reddening on Itachi's face as well.
"Bastard! Do not say that!" Sakura shouted, her entire frame shaking with fury.
Itachi blinked, realizing that she had not denied them being in any relationship, only that she did not want him talking about it. Not sure what that meant, a soft, nearly invisible smile spread across his lips.
AN: I know I must sound like a broken record, but please REVIEW!! I love to hear from you guys!