I should be apologizing and explaining that I haven't been able to write because of school. But since I'm writing this instead of studying for my Psych final, I'd say this seems fair. In light of my rather extreme back-up, I've decided to trim and edit this chapter to include what I had planned for my Christmas chapter. I'm sure everyone will appreciate this chapter because I'm sure that I've developed a cavity or two while writing it.

Hope you enjoy!

Fancy Footwork

Chapter 10: Red is for Christmas

Sakura tapped her pencil against the floor. Her lower lip jutted out in a pout as she stared intently at the book opened in front of her. There was a loud thump beside her but she didn't even bother to look up to find the source of the noise.

"Hungry, My-chan?" Deidara's voice inquired as half of a sandwich was waved under her nose.

"No thank you, Deidara-san," Sakura replied as flipped furiously through the pages, forehead wrinkling as she scanned the passing words.

"You want me to get you some water then?"

"No thank you," she distractedly answered as she popped off the cap of her highlighter and boxed a paragraph in bright yellow. Deidara huffed as he noisily consumed his sandwich beside her, scattering crumbs across open pages. She finally paused to shoot him a pointed look. He grinned sheepishly and waggled his fingers at her.

"Let's go get dinner after this, My-chan. I'm starving and you're working too hard. It's making my head hurt," Deidara said, patting his stomach. Sakura shut her book while shaking her head. She eyed the empty sandwich wrappers piled up beside him with wide eyes.

"Sorry. My mom's flight to Dubai is in a few hours. I'm having dinner with her before she leaves. Maybe tomorrow," Sakura said as she swung her messenger bag over her shoulder and struggled for a minute to cram the heavy book into what little space was left inside. Sasori wandered over to her side of the room, chewing on a lollipop with a thoughtful expression. He watched her for a moment before he extended his hand to her and helped her to her feet. Deidara's smile faded as he stared up at her.

"Everything okay with your mom, yeah?" Deidara inquired in a much softer voice. Sakura, hearing the change in his tone, hesitated for a moment before she looked down at him.

"It's been… strange seeing her all the time. But I think I like it," she finally replied and he looked relieved. Nodding sagely, Deidara sprang to his feet and threw his arms around her in the usual hug filled with enthusiasm. And like always, he pressed a noisy kiss to the top of her head and she immediately erupted into a violent shade of scarlet while Kisame and Sasori dealt simultaneous blows to his forehead and his knee. Sakura cleared her throat as she rubbed at her hair and watched Sasori assault his best friend with a newspaper.

"He did it again?" Itachi guessed as he entered the studio, mussing his damp hair with a towel. He had just come from the private bathroom located on the floor above that was reserved strictly for their dance crew by the university. Sakura nodded and he chuckled as he tossed the towel over his shoulder and ran his fingers through his dark hair. Itachi winced as his hand caught in a particularly stubborn knot, arm raised in an awkward position.

"Bad hair day, Rapunzel?" Kisame began chortling but his laughter quickly died when Itachi pinned him with a withering stare.

"Do you need any help, Itachi-san?" Sakura finally asked when Itachi tugged and found his hand unmoving. He frowned and looked ready to refuse. But his eyes darted up to look at his arm and he reluctantly nodded, heaving a great sigh. Sakura resisted the urge to laugh as she walked over to him and peered past his arm to catch a glimpse of the gigantic snarl of hair eating his hand.

"Um… let's go over here," she said, taking his free hand and guiding him to the bench by the window. She tugged his hand down and he obliged, sitting as gracefully as he could. Perching on the edge of the bench, she nudged his arm to the right and delved into his wet hair, patiently pulling apart the strands. Eventually, he relaxed, leaning his head back so that it rested comfortably against her leg. Even when she had completely untangled everything, she continued to slowly run her fingers through his hair, pretending to search for knots she knew wouldn't be there.

"How did this even happen?" she asked as she nudged his shoulder with her knee. She thought she saw his back stiffen for a moment and then he let out a surprisingly weary sigh.

"I ran out of conditioner," Itachi quietly replied in an almost-mumble and Sakura's hands immediately flew up to clamp over her mouth. Still, a giggle escaped her and he heard. He turned around, fixing her with a stern look but she couldn't stop the mirth that bubbled up her throat. To both their surprises, they glanced over and found Kisame crouching beside them, his face purple with the effort to stop himself from making noise. Sakura's eyes met Kisame's and they simultaneously exploded into laughter that echoed across the room. Tears streaming down her cheeks, Sakura fell to the side, sprawling across the bench as she tried to catch her breath. Kisame was on the floor, pounding vigorously with his fists as broken fragments of sentences spilled from his mouth.

"You! CONDITIONER! HA!" Kisame managed to wheeze and this sent Sakura into fresh peals of laughter.

"Hey! There's nothing wrong with a man taking good care of his hair, yeah! Just because you're unforgivably ugly doesn't mean you can laugh at those who aren't, Dolphin-chan!" Deidara interrupted with a scowl. Sakura rolled off the bench and her feet ended up in Itachi's lap as she struggled to breathe properly. Kisame dragged his body across the floor and collapsed beside Sakura where his booming chuckles only made her laugh harder. After a while, mostly due to a lack of oxygen, they managed to quiet down enough that they let out only the occasional snort.

Itachi's lips pressed into a tight line, like he was trying his best not to smile too. His gaze met Sakura's and she tittered again as she hid her face in her hands.

"If you're finished laughing at me, we should get going, Sakura-san," Itachi calmly said and Kisame mashed his fist against his mouth, unsuccessfully trying to quell his chortle. This time, Deidara's stern expression shifted and a leer spread across his face.

"Oh? I thought Sakura-chan was having dinner with her mom," Kisame interjected, eyebrows waggling suggestively.

"Our moms were friends during university so Mikoto-san invited us over to eat," Sakura flatly replied, fixing Kisame with a look that made him snort derisively.

"Stealing My-chan from me, yeah," Deidara muttered to himself as he crossed his arms over his chest and Sasori rolled his eyes.

"Come to think of it, since when was Sakura-chan yours, Goldilocks?" Kisame demanded. At this, Deidara looked outraged as he gestured to his body.

"Look at me, yeah. What kind of girl wouldn't want a piece of this?" Deidara declared and Sasori brought a rolled up newspaper down on top of his head. Rubbing his head furiously, Deidara whirled around to scowl at Sasori.

"What? It's true! Look at my hot body, my style, my sexy voice and-" Disgusted by the growing list, Kisame grabbed a handful of chips from an opened bag and lobbed them straight at the blonde's face while Sasori smacked Deidara in the back of the head.

"I'm KIDDING!" Deidara shouted as he ducked to avoid another blow from Sasori, only to be grabbed in a headlock by Kisame.

"And on that sickening note, we'll get going. See you tomorrow," Itachi firmly said as he got to his feet. Sakura giggled as she stood and waved at everybody. She received a chorus of greetings as she walked out the door after Itachi. As they descended the stairs, Itachi glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

"I'm slightly insulted, Sakura-san. Like you don't use conditioner," he began and it took her a second to realize that he was teasing her. In response, she frowned at him, scrunching up her nose in the process. They both laughed as they emerged from the building and walked to Itachi's car. Sakura hopped in and buckled the seatbelt, unaware of Itachi watching her. When she looked up, he had already turned his attention to starting the car and backing out of the parking space.

"So… Dubai?" Itachi began and Sakura shrugged.

"Dubai it is."

"It's almost Christmas."

"I know. She knows. It wouldn't be the first time I've spent Christmas alone."

At this, Itachi looked over at her and she tried her best to make her smile convincing. But his frown let her know that he saw through her ruse. He shook his head with a disapproving expression.

"You can come spend Christmas with us. I know my father would love that," Itachi sighed and Sakura arched her eyebrows at him.

"Your father?" she repeated, wondering if she had heard him wrong.

"You wouldn't believe it, but he likes you a lot. He's just incapable of expressing his feelings," Itachi clarified and Sakura huffed.

"It seems that's genetic," she joked and he rolled his eyes at her. Sakura stuck her tongue out at him before she dug through the glove compartment and chose a CD to pop into the stereo. For the rest of the ride, Sakura bobbed her head along to the music and mouthed the words. Every once in a while, he would look her way, she would smile and he would return the expression. When they reached the Uchiha family's residence, Sakura's mouth automatically opened to complain when Itachi reached over to take her bag. But when he pointed to her ankle, a smug smile touched her lips.

"I'm not injured anymore," Sakura reminded him but his expression didn't change as his finger moved to point towards the house.

"I'll never hear the end of it if my parents see you carrying something heavy without me trying to help you," he explained and Sakura's lower lip jutted out in a pout as she took in his words. After a moment, she reluctantly agreed and hopped out of the car. As they walked up the stone walkway, the smell of food wafted out and smacked them straight in the faces. Sakura took a deep breath and sighed.

"What's dessert for tonight?" Itachi inquired as he reached into his pocket for the key. Sakura grinned as she reached into her jacket and pulled out a light blue index card and waved it in front of her face.

"Blueberry cheesecake," she proudly announced and she watched his expression sharpen with interest. Itachi didn't say anything but he hastened in unlocking the front door and walking inside and Sakura couldn't suppress the urge to laugh a little. As she stepped into the foyer and slipped off her shoes, she heard Mikoto's laughter from the kitchen.

"Good evening, Fugaku-san," Sakura cheerfully said as she walked past the living room. Fugaku was sitting in his usual armchair with a newspaper open in his lap. A soccer game was playing on the TV. Since Fugaku never watched the TV, this drew her attention and she paused in the doorway. To her surprise, there was a second person in the room who was sprawled across the sofa.

"Ah, Sakura-chan. You're early," Fugaku remarked in a distinctly approving tone as he looked up at her from his newspaper. There was no better way to earn Uchiha Fugaku's heart than to be punctual. Sakura momentarily forgot her shock as she remembered to smile politely at him. However, Sasuke decided then to tear his attention away from the game and stared at her, eyes widening.

"What," Sasuke flatly said without any inflection in his voice. Sakura looked straight back at him, unsure of how to react. So she fervently spilled mental blessings upon Fugaku when he glanced over at his youngest son and frowned sternly at him.

"Feet off the table, Sasuke. And is that any way to greet a guest?" Fugaku lectured and Sasuke sulked as he slowly lowered his feet. The older man continued his scolding and Sasuke bowed his head as he listened. Itachi's hand darted out from the hallway and grabbed her arm. He pulled her into the hallway and she crashed straight into his chest. But instead of blushing, she met his wide-eyed expression of relief and she giggled.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know Sasuke would be home," Itachi whispered as they both peered out and watched Fugaku continue to speak and Sasuke's shoulders slumping lower and lower.

"I didn't know either. I thought Sasu-chan was going out with his friends. I'm sorry too, Sakura-chan," Mikoto said in hushed tones as she tip-toed out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on the front of her apron. Sakura smiled as Mikoto enveloped her in a warm hug that smelled of food and laundry soap. Behind her, Kirie followed and she beamed as she threw her arms around Sakura next.

"Itachi-kun said he wanted Italian food so we're having Chicken Marengo. What're your plans for dessert?" Mikoto queried as she took her by the shoulders and ushered her into the kitchen.

"Cheesecake. But that can wait for later. Do you need any help with the chicken?" Sakura said, shedding her dark blue jacket and leaving it on the back of a chair.

"Oh no. We're almost done. We were just waiting for you two. Do you want to get started with dessert then?" Mikoto said. Sakura thought for a moment and then nodded. She turned to her, making shooing motions and pushing the Uchiha matriarch away from the stove. Smiling fondly, Mikoto sat at the island on a stool and motioned for Kirie to join her as they watched Sakura cross the room and wash her hands in the sink. As she dried her hands, she looked around for the spare apron Mikoto saved for her but Itachi had already located it and lowered it over her head.

"I don't need help with that, Itachi-san!" she complained as he turned her around and neatly tied a bow in the back. They both turned when they heard the two mothers giggling together.

"Mother," Itachi sighed and Mikoto looked at him with wide, innocent eyes. And Sakura mashed her lips together in a fake pout as she eyed her own mother. Kirie simply tittered but didn't say anything in response. Clearing her throat, Sakura took a few steps away from him and busied herself with tying her hair.

The truth was, ever since the cultural festival at school, she had felt a little strange around Itachi. Well, stranger than usual. They had spent lots of times together, just the two of them, whether it was in his car on the way to dance rehearsal or in a deserted classroom. But each time she remembered the way his gaze had focused in on her mouth at the school clinic, she felt her cheeks burn.

It had been almost a month ago and she was trying her best to pretend nothing had happened. Itachi didn't seem to be having any problems with it so she was trying her best to act normal too. Nothing had changed really. Maybe he sat a little closer, maybe she playfully bumped against his side a little more, but she was sure that she was overreacting.

"Do you need any help, Sakura-san?" Itachi inquired, putting his hand on her shoulder and she jumped as she let out a squeak. When she turned around, he was looking at her like he was trying his best not to laugh at her reaction. Still very aware of the weight of his hand on her shoulder, she smiled.

"Do you mind watching the chicken so it doesn't burn?" she requested and Itachi complied, picking up the wooden spoon and standing dutifully at the stove. As the two older women chatted, Sakura gathered ingredients and stood at the counter, measuring cups of sugar and sifting flour. Since everything else was cluttered with already-cooked food and the like, she was forced to stand right next to Itachi, so close that their elbows occasionally bumped. When she poured blueberries into a small saucepan, he leaned over her shoulder to get a better look.

"Do those go in with the wet ingredients?" he asked with genuine curiosity as she tried her best to keep her voice even as she measured a heaping cup of sugar and poured it on top of the plump blue fruit.

"No," she replied, laughing. They were both quiet again as she grated the rind off of a lemon, filling the kitchen with the fresh scent.

"This is going to be the topping for the cheesecake," Sakura explained as she poured the rest of the ingredients into the saucepan and set it on the empty burner beside the one occupied with fragrant chicken. She stirred once, letting the sugar spread evenly over the fruit before she licked the spoon and hummed approvingly before tossing it in the sink. Neither of them realized that their mothers had stopped talking and were eying them with interest.

When the batter was done, Sakura peered into the round pan to make sure everything was level before she popped it into the oven. By then, the blueberries had popped to form a sweet reddish-purple sauce. She took the pot off the heat for a minute to let it cool before she carefully took a spoonful and blew on it.

"Try it for me? I usually make everything too sweet," Sakura said, holding up the spoon to Itachi. So with one hand under the spoon to catch any spills, Sakura guided it to Itachi's mouth and watched with anxiety for his reaction. It was at that precise moment that Sasuke ambled rather grumpily into the kitchen with his hands jammed deep into his pockets.

Sasuke rarely looked surprised. But his jaw dropped when he watched Itachi casually reach behind Sakura for another handful of blueberries. The way his wrist grazed the small of her back seemed accidental, yet the way he looked at Sakura's blush made it obvious that it wasn't.

"A little too sweet," Itachi remarked and Sakura shrugged with a resigned smile.

"What's wrong, Sasu-chan? I thought you were watching the game with dad?" Mikoto inquired, noticing her youngest son standing awkwardly in the doorway. Sasuke blinked out of his stupor, scowling.

"Father's been scolding his manners again," Itachi explained, not looking up from the food. Sakura grimaced sympathetically without looking up either.

"Should I add some more lemon?" Sakura wondered out loud. They were bent over the saucepan together. Sakura's mouth was puckered up as she pondered. And the way Itachi watched her was enough to make Sasuke raise his eyebrows.

"Oh well. You know your father means well, honey," Mikoto gently reminded him and Sasuke nodded sullenly.

"I'm sure Fugaku-san will lighten up once he eats," Sakura said almost under her breath. Itachi chuckled his assent. This drew Sasuke's curious gaze back to them. Sakura glanced up at him and she could almost see the gears turning inside his head. As Sasuke's mouth opened, the doorbell rang and the brothers exchanged pointed looks.

"The food will burn, baby brother," Itachi simply argued. So, muttering darkly, Sasuke stalked off to open the front door. Immediately, he was bombarded with a loud yet familiar voice.

"Wow! Something smells amazing!" Naruto exclaimed as he walked straight past Sasuke, barely pausing to wriggle out of his sneakers. Sasuke stood dumbfounded in the foyer as Naruto paused to quietly greet Fugaku (who merely grunted in response) and then proceeded to run into the kitchen while rubbing his growling stomach. Confused, Sasuke tentatively followed after his boisterous friend just in time to see Naruto running straight to Sakura.

"Hey there! Thanks for inviting me, Sakura-chan! I was running out of ramen," the blonde said as he went to throw his arms around her. But he stopped short when he saw Itachi standing over her shoulder. He didn't say anything and Sakura looked over her shoulder and saw that Itachi didn't look at all threatening. However, something must have passed between them because Naruto settled for patting her shoulder. Puzzled, she twisted around to look at Itachi again but his face gave nothing away.

The cake came out of the oven a short while later. Naruto groaned longingly as she whisked the cheesecake away and put it into the freezer to solidify. As the sweet perfume of sugary delight filled the kitchen, everyone else bustled around setting the table while Naruto stood morosely in front of the freezer.

"Come on, idiot. After dinner," Sasuke finally muttered as he took Naruto by the arm and dragged him to the dining room.

Fugaku was already sitting at the head of the rectangular table. Mikoto took her usual place to his right while Itachi sat to his left. But when Sasuke moved to sit to his brother's left, Sakura was already sitting there. Kirie settled happily beside Mikoto. Scowling, he moved to sit next to Sakura, but Naruto pushed past him and plopped down in the chair. He opened his mouth to insult the blonde's idiocy, but Naruto turned around to give him an evil grin and he realized that Naruto wasn't as oblivious as he appeared.

So, Sasuke sat sullenly next to Sakura's mother during dinner, grumbling inwardly even as he ate a delicious meal.

"How's school, Sakura-chan?" Mikoto asked as they ate. When all eyes at the table focused on her, she turned a faint shade of pink. Itachi lightly nudged her elbow and wiped at the right corner of his mouth. She hastily lifted her napkin to wipe her face and then looked up at the Uchiha matriarch.

"Oh. School's good, Mikoto-san," she politely replied.

"I hear you ranked number one on your finals. That's very impressive," Fugaku added and Sakura's mouth curled up into a shy smile. But her smile faded when she noticed the implicit accusation at the end of his statement: unlike someone. And with his eyes focused on his son, it wasn't difficult to guess who his silence was directed at. When she glanced in Sasuke's direction, he momentarily met her eyes and then stared down at the table, his hands clenching into fists. Thinking quickly, she cleared her throat.

"Well, Itachi-san tutored me in some subjects so it's really not that impressive," Sakura said and Itachi rolled his eyes.

"Father, I literally helped her on two questions," Itachi assured him and Fugaku chuckled. Sakura saw Sasuke's eyes widen and she understood. Strict Mr. Uchiha rarely laughed and it still surprised her whenever he even smiled.

"I guess she's just like her mom. Kirie-senpai was a brilliant student," Mikoto said and Kirie snorted in an extremely un-lady-like manner. The conversation flowed smoothly from then on, quickly washing over that tense moment. Just once, Sasuke's foot nudged her shin under the table and when Sakura looked up, he nodded once in thanks. The chicken disappeared quickly, followed by hearty compliments to the chefs. When Sakura momentarily slipped away to retrieve dessert, she could feel Naruto's excited eyes following her. The cheesecake was perfectly moist and soft and the tangy blueberry topping was just tart enough to balance out the sweetness. It was met with noises of approval from all around the table and even sullen Sasuke (who hated sweet food) ate without complaint.

At the end of the meal, Mikoto and Kirie quickly excused themselves to go clean up the kitchen. Sakura lingered for a moment to finish her glass of water before she got to her feet, piling dirty plates and carrying them off. Itachi quietly excused himself too and gathered the rest to follow her. He caught up with her in the doorway and lifted a particularly heavy serving bowl off of her pile. At first, she wanted to protest, but she settled for wrinkling her nose at him before they both entered into the kitchen to help. But as soon as they set foot inside, the two mothers snatched away the plates and shooed them off. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder in the doorway, Sakura and Itachi looked at each other and exchanged exasperated smiles.

"Do you think we can smuggle some ice cream past them?" Sakura whispered and the corner of Itachi's mouth lifted in a confident smirk that made her heart flutter madly in her chest. She felt her eyes widen as alarm flooded her. Was she having some sort of heart episode? It had never behaved quite that way before.

"Of course, Sakura-san," Itachi assured her before he eased into the kitchen. Still a little concerned for her cardiac health, Sakura found her feet taking her to the back porch where she usually spent her time on Sunday nights. It was a bit nippy outside even with her jacket on but it wasn't unbearable so she sat on the edge of the porch, swinging her legs over the edge. As she waited, she slipped her phone from her pocket and scrolled through her contacts to Hinata's number. But she stopped short. Although Hinata had become her closest friend at school, she somehow doubted that the other girl would be able to offer much help. If anything, her question would probably make her worry. Instead, Sakura found Konan's number.

My chest's been feeling strange lately.

She sent the message and slipped her phone back in her pocket just as something unbearably cold touched the side of her neck and she yelped.

"Itachi-san!" Sakura complained as swatted at him. Chuckling, Itachi sat on the porch beside her and handed her the carton of ice cream and a spoon. He sat cross-legged, chin propped up in his hand as he watched her eagerly open the container and dig out a large hunk of strawberry ice cream.

As she stuck a spoonful of sweet second dessert in her mouth, her phone vibrated. When she retrieved it from her pocket, she nearly choked on her spoon.

It means you like him.

It took her a while to convince Itachi that she was fine, even as she clutched her phone in her hands like a gun. Thankfully, it was soon time for Kirie to go catch her flight so she quickly thanked the members of the Uchiha household for their hospitality and waved at Naruto before she called for a taxi to take them to the airport. As she climbed into the back seat, Kirie settled in beside her. When the car pulled onto the highway, Sakura felt her mother's light brown eyes glancing at her.

"What's wrong?" Sakura inquired as she turned to face her mother.

"I probably won't be able to come home for at least a month, honey," Kirie began apologetically.

"I know. That's okay," she assured her but Kirie didn't look convinced.

"We can video chat. I just got a smartphone," Kirie added, still looking nervous.

"It's really okay, mom." As she spoke, Sakura patted her mother's hand and Kirie looked ready to cry.

"It's alright if you're mad at me."

"I'm not."

"I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too."

So, Haruno Kirie took her plane to Dubai while Sakura stood in the bustling airport, watching the white plane soar high into the air.

The train station was a short walk from the airport and she mostly napped on the long ride back to her house. As she got off at her station, she dug her phone out to stare at the simple message still on the screen.

It means you like him.

"It could also mean I have a congenital heart disorder," Sakura muttered to herself as she trudged down the sidewalk. Immersed deeply in her thoughts, she didn't hear someone shouting her name from down the street. It was only when someone clapped her on the shoulder that she paid attention. Tenten was smiling at her with a duffel bag swung over her shoulder. Her brown hair was wet and she was dressed in a sweatshirt and leggings, probably fresh from track practice.

"What're you zoning out for? Are you heading home?" Tenten asked pleasantly. Sakura looked down at her phone and then up at Tenten's face before she stuck the phone in the other girl's face.

"PLEASE TELL ME WHAT THIS MEANS!"

Somewhere inside her brain, Sakura was grateful that the other girl didn't laugh at her. Sakura wasn't sure how, but Tenten managed to calm her enough to escort her a few blocks to a nearby café. It was a tiny, musty place that she probably wouldn't have known existed had Tenten not opened the door for her. The owner seemed to recognize Tenten as the girls sat in a corner booth.

"2 coffees please!" Tenten called and the old man at the counter nodded. When their drinks arrived, Sakura dumped at least four spoonfuls of sugar into her cup before stirring so hard that white foam rose to the top of her drink. Laughing, Tenten pried the spoon from Sakura's shaking hand.

"So, what exactly happened?" the brunette demanded before she took a sip of her drink. Sakura fiddled with the edge of her sleeve, trying to gather her words.

"Senpai… have you ever been talking to someone and suddenly your heart suddenly feels like it's going to explode?" Sakura began. But before she could finish, Tenten's eyes were wide. She pointed a finger in between Sakura's eyes.

"Spill! Who's the guy? I have no girl friends other than you, so be detailed," Tenten ordered. Sakura simply gaped at her, unsure of what to say.

"You obviously have a crush on someone. Who is it? Is it that red-head? Or that blonde?" Tenten grilled her mercilessly and Sakura flapped her hands insistently.

"Of course not!" Sakura blurted out and Tenten laughed.

"Okay, then it's obviously that Itachi guy," Tenten inferred and Sakura froze. A devious smile spread across Tenten's face as she waggled her finger.

"I knew it! He's always watching you, you know?"

At this, Sakura almost forgot her own concerns.

"He is?" she asked and Tenten rolled her eyes.

"Not in a weird way. But sort of… protectively? It's cute," Tenten explained but Sakura was just confused.

"I don't think that's anything weird. I mean, I'm the same age as his brother so it would make sense for him to feel sort of protective-" Sakura's line of logic was interrupted by Tenten's exasperated look.

"Sakura, since when has your chest been feeling funny?" inquired Tenten and Sakura took a moment to think.

Ever since she had first met Itachi, something about his maturity had always made her a little nervous. And whenever he smiled at her while he drove his car or whenever he stood at a window and the light hit him the right way- The more she thought, she more she realized that it had always been that way. It had just gotten more intense.

"So pretty much always," Tenten surmised as she watched the shock spread across Sakura's face. Sakura nodded mutely.

"So you've liked him from the beginning, but now that you know him better, you really like him," Tenten explained and Sakura shook her head furiously.

"No way! He told me he sees me like a younger sister, senpai!" Sakura insisted and Tenten snorted.

"Did he actually say that?" Tenten demanded and Sakura's mouth opened but then promptly closed.

"Case closed. You like Uchiha Itachi and I'm about 90 percent sure he likes you too. Happy?"

"That's impossible!" protested Sakura. But even as she denied it, everything flooded back to her. The unreasonable eagerness to spend time with him, the way she blushed whenever their eyes would lock for too long. And as she thought, she suddenly remembered the moment in the clinic during the cultural festival, the way his gaze lingered on her mouth and the way she had secretly wished for something else to have happened. Letting out an incoherent groan of frustration, Sakura rubbed her face furiously with her hands.

"Noooo!" she moaned.

She felt so stupid, falling for two Uchiha's one after another. (Although some small part of her argued that unlike Sasuke, Itachi was a great person.) Even after she had sobbed and sworn never to leave herself vulnerable ever again. Her head drooped and she smacked her forehead against the table once for good measure. In another burst of frustration, she ran her fingers through her hair.

"I can't believe you didn't figure that out on your own since you're so smart, Sakura," Tenten commented and Sakura whimpered.

"Listen, if he's as nice as I think he is, you should at least confess to him. The worst that can happen is that he tells you he likes you like family and you stay friends," Tenten logically pointed out. Sakura tentatively lifted her head, her hair a wild mess of pink.

"You think so?"

"I know so," Tenten replied with confidence and Sakura found it in her to smile a little.

Sakura stared disbelievingly at her phone.

It was already December 24th.

It had already been almost two weeks since Tenten had given her a pep talk. And, following her instructions so well, Sakura had proceeded to act like a skittish deer around Itachi until even Deidara was watching her strangely.

"What're you doing for Christmas, Kitten?" Kisame inquired as Sakura knelt on the floor to lace up her boots. She had already taken a shower after practice and the men were just finishing washing up after her. She always felt a little bad that they waited for her to bathe before them so she wouldn't feel nervous. But any protests she had were either silenced by a lollipop from Sasori or Kisame's loud voice purposely drowning hers out. Sakura pulled on her red pea coat as she thought.

"Well, Mikoto-san invited me over for the day since my mother's still away…" Sakura began and the uncertainty in her voice made Kisame raise an eyebrow at her.

"You probably don't want to go," Kisame observed and Sakura, startled, looked up at him.

"What makes you say that, Kisame-san?" Sakura asked, tilting her head a little. But before Kisame could answer, Itachi entered the studio, his damp hair already up in a ponytail and Sakura immediately averted her eyes, trying desperately to hide the blush already rising to her cheeks as she busied herself with buttoning her coat. Unlike Deidara and Sasori, Itachi had the decency to put on both his pants and his shirt before coming downstairs. Still, it was very difficult not to stare with his toned arm muscles flexing as he got dressed.

"That," Kisame chuckled. Sakura glanced up at him to quickly stick her tongue out at him before turning away.

"It's getting late. I think I'll head home now!" Sakura hurriedly said as she wound her scarf around her neck and grabbed her stuff before half-running to the door.

"Hold on, Sakura-san. It's snowing outside. I'll drive you home," Itachi said before she could make it to the door. Groaning inwardly, she managed her best smile, trying not to look too devastated. She waited anxiously for him to gather his things, her fingers nervously tugging at the bottom of her jacket. When Sasori and Deidara joined them a few minutes later, Deidara cast her one worried look but didn't say anything.

"I'll drop Sakura-san off at her house. Good night, everyone," Itachi finally greeted everyone and received a chorus of similar words.

"Bye," Sakura quickly said before she scurried out of the studio before Itachi.

"….Is she alright, yeah?" Deidara inquired, extremely concerned. Sakura's increasingly twitchy behavior over the past couple weeks made him wonder if he had maybe gone too far with the hugging and teasing. As if reading his mind, Sasori shook his head and jerked his head at Itachi's back as he exited.

"Oh!" Deidara said, finally comprehending. He exchanged devious glances with Kisame as he zipped up his coat.

But Sakura was too preoccupied to wonder what Deidara was thinking because she was already outside and briskly walking to Itachi's car. When they climbed into the vehicle, Itachi didn't immediately stick his key in the ignition. Instead, he took a deep breath and turned his head to look at her.

"Is something the matter, Sakura-san?" Itachi inquired and the genuine concern in his tone made her throat feel tight. Damn him for being so considerate.

"Nope," she replied, hating how squeaky her voice sounded. She stared straight ahead and she could feel his gaze focused on the side of her face for a long time before he sighed and started the car. The ride was awkward and silent all the way to her apartment. Her hands clenched so hard in her lap that her knuckles turned white and she knew that he kept glancing her way as he drove. But she knew that if she looked at him, really looked at him, she would either blurt out everything or start hyperventilating and neither option seemed appealing to her at the moment. Instead, she muttered "thank you" when he stopped in front of her apartment complex and quickly scurried up to her home. She peeked past her curtain and saw that his car sat for a long time outside before it finally took off into the dark night.

She sat on her bed for a long time, staring out the window and watching the falling snow slowly fill in the tire tracks he left behind. Eventually, she managed to tear herself away from the window to wash up and force down a granola bar for dinner before she climbed into bed, burrowing under the covers. She lay in the darkness for a long time, staring blankly at her cell phone on her nightstand, half-hoping for a text. And when she finally did fall asleep, all she saw were his dark eyes stealing worried glances at her.

The next morning, an accustomed yet unwanted pounding pulled her from sleep. Groaning, she hugged her pillow to her chest and waited for it to go away. But she knew who it was and knew that the earth was more likely to stop spinning than for the noise to disappear. So, eyes barely opening, Sakura wrapped the covers around herself before she shuffled through the apartment and to the front door.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS, MY-CHAN!" Deidara's voice sang too cheerfully. She unlocked the door and slowly pulled it open. Squinting against the feeble light that peeked in, she looked out at four familiar and, at the moment, completely unwelcome faces. As if sensing her burning desire to slam the door on them, Sasori held up an array of colorful gift bags. Kisame copied him with a hopeful grin, showing off the crudely-wrapped boxes with tape layered thickly on the edges. So Sakura grudgingly opened the door wider to let them in.

"You look like you got in a fight, Kitten," Kisame teased as she retreated back to her room to wash up and change out of her pajamas. When she emerged a few minutes later with her hair tied up into a ponytail, everyone had already gathered in the living room. Rolling up the sleeves of her shirt, she settled on the sofa between Sasori and Deidara.

"Can someone please explain why you're all here? I thought we agreed to exchange gifts tomorrow," Sakura immediately demanded and Sasori and Kisame turned to point accusatory fingers at Deidara.

"This one said he couldn't wait and he kept whining and whining until Kisame decided we either listen to him or kill him and hide the body," Sasori explained. For a moment, she knew exactly what Sasori was thinking, that he would have preferred the second option. When she smiled at him, he nodded gravely.

"Anyway! Here's yours, Goldfish-chan. And yours, Itachi. And yours, Sasori," Deidara loudly interrupted, handing out the boxes neatly wrapped in shiny silver paper. He reached behind him to pull out a much larger box and handed it to Sakura. With curious expressions, everyone pulled off the paper to reveal their presents.

"Wow!" Kisame exclaimed as he held up a pair of black and gold sneakers with wings on the sides. Sasori opened his package to find an identical pair and Itachi did too. But when Sakura opened the cardboard box, she found sneakers along with a large white stuffed bunny that was about half as tall as she was. She laughed out loud, forgetting her bad mood as she hugged the soft animal to her chest.

"Thank you!" she giggled and Deidara's face lit up.

"I'm glad you like it, yeah!" he replied, beaming. But Kisame interrupted by throwing his roughly-wrapped present at Deidara's face before politely handing everyone else theirs.

"Ah, this is perfect. Thanks," Itachi remarked as he found a simple silver necktie. Sasori murmured his thanks upon discovering a gift card to his favorite textile shop while Deidara roared with laughter when he opened up a white box containing a few vinyl records.

"I can't believe you managed to find these, yeah. Thanks, man," Deidara said, grinning as he leaned over to clap Kisame on the shoulder. When Kisame had dumped a giant box of Swiss chocolates on Sakura's lap, the room had gone completely quiet before Sasori had eyed the sweets with a critical eye.

"That… is finely crafted chocolate," the red-head remarked in all seriousness and was met with Kisame and Sakura exchanging wide-eyed looks before they exploded into laughter again while Deidara groaned and smacked himself in the forehead. Still, she thanked Kisame enthusiastically for the present and he smiled in response.

Sasori was calm as always as he distributed the gift bags all tied with neat ribbons. Kisame made a skeptical face as he reached into his and pulled out a sturdy rectangle wrapped in shiny paper.

"You got him a book? You know fish can't read," Deidara snorted and Kisame responded by throwing the discarded wrapping paper in his face.

"It's that limited edition comic book you were looking for, Kisame," Itachi observed as he leaned over to read the title. Sakura clamped her hand over her mouth as tears formed in Kisame's eyes ("MANLY TEARS, DAMNIT!" he always yelled in response).

"Thanks, man," Kisame choked out as he set the comic book flat on his lap. Deidara happily discovered a pair of glittering cuff links and Itachi approvingly examined a worn leather-bound edition of his favorite novel. Sakura glared suspiciously as she caught the faint rustle of fabric inside the bag when she moved it. Still, she was too polite to let the present sit and reached inside.

"Sasori-san!" she immediately scolded as she lifted a matching hat and glove set.

"I told you not to buy me more clothes!" Sakura protested but Sasori's mouth lifted into a faint smile.

"I just bought new yarn, Sakura-chan," Sasori corrected and she looked back down with a puzzled expression.

"You... made these?" she wondered out loud and he nodded. She touched the soft white knitting wonderingly. There were tiny pink kittens embroidered along the border of the hat and the gloves.

"Thank you," she whispered, looking back up at him with a smile. And Sasori gave her a completely straight face as he held out an arm to her. She hesitated for a second but then she looked back at the beautiful, handmade present and she accepted, reaching over to give him a quick hug.

Then, it was her turn to hand out presents. Sasori received a gigantic 1000-pack of assorted lollipops and she could have sworn for a moment that he looked ready to cry. Kisame and Deidara got matching green pajamas covered in dancing reindeer. And though they gave her glares, she could see Deidara stroking the fabric happily whenever he thought she wasn't looking.

But before she could get his gift, Itachi handed her a small box and she felt strangely nervous.

"Hey! What about us, jackass?" Deidara protested and Itachi gave him a smirk before he tossed a handful of coupons into Deidara's lap.

"All-you-can-eat passes for Ichiraku's? You're the best, man!" Kisame exclaimed as he picked up a slip of paper and examined it. With the rest of the guys distracted, Itachi pushed the small box across the coffee table towards her. After a little hesitation, she reached out and took off the lid of the box.

"Tickets?" she asked, confused as she lifted the two thick pieces of paper. She flipped them over to read the back.

"An all-day spa including massages, unlimited access to the saunas and mud baths and a complimentary meal," she read. Tilting her head, she looked up at Itachi.

"But why are there two?" she inquired. At this, a smile spread across Itachi's face that made her heart skip a beat. Or two. Or maybe three.

"One's for you and one's for your mother. These don't expire for a year so you can use them to spend some time with her when she gets back, Sakura-san," Itachi explained. Sakura couldn't stop the grin that spread across her face as she looked down at the tickets again. Without thinking, she jumped out of her seat to smother Itachi in a tight hug. His eyes widened and he absently patted her arm, like he didn't know how else to react. By the time she realized what she was doing, a blush had bloomed on her face. She jumped up, apologizing furiously and trying to hide her face.

"Whew! I'm getting all hot and bothered just watching this!" Kisame teased as he fanned himself. Itachi responded by picking a pillow off the couch and lobbing it straight into his face.

"Actually, aren't you supposed to be heading to your parents' house soon, Itachi? It's almost noon," Sasori pointed out and Sakura looked down at her baggy t-shirt and pajama pants.

"We still have about an hour. Take your time getting ready, Sakura-san," Itachi assured her and she mutely nodded.

"Ooh! My-chan! Let me pick out your clothes, yeah!" Deidara exclaimed as he got to his feet and dragged her off. Somehow Sasori also decided that he wanted to partake in dress-up so after her shower, Sakura ended up sitting at her vanity while Deidara brushed her hair and ran his fingers through the damp locks while he used the blow-dryer. In the end, he ended up styling her hair in soft, loose waves around her face. Her hair had grown out since they had cut it during the summer so her bangs had also gotten longer, framing her cheekbones. After arguing with Sasori for a bit, she settled for wearing a cream-colored sweater over a black and red skirt covered in snowflakes along with black tights and black boots trimmed with fake fur.

"Well, we better get going. Have a nice time. Bring me back some leftovers," Kisame said when Sakura came out to the living room, not-too-subtly jabbing Itachi in the ribs. In response, Itachi gave him such a withering glare that Kisame fell silent.

"Thank you. For everything, I mean," Sakura said as everyone followed her to the door. She turned to them and found Deidara positively turning red from the effort it took to restrain himself. Stifling a laugh, Sakura held out her arms to him and Deidara swooped in, enveloping her in a tight hug.

"My-chan! You're so CUTE!" Deidara cooed as he squeezed her. Kisame and Sasori tolerated this for about a minute before they pried him off and dragged him out of the apartment. They paused for a moment to wave at her before they disappeared, pulling Deidara through the snow. Sakura and Itachi stood at the door for a minute, watching Deidara thrash unhappily as snow was forced into the most unpleasant places.

"I suppose we should feel bad for him," Sakura remarked and Itachi shrugged.

"I suppose," he agreed. Sakura giggled. But as soon as their eyes met, she flushed bright red and quickly turned away. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see his mouth open, like he wanted to say something to her. But he was silent as he waited for her to gather her things and to lock the door before they walked out to his car.

Mikoto, of course, was ecstatic to see her and Fugaku was also warm as he greeted her. Surprisingly, Sasuke was friendly enough during their dinner of nabe that was topped off with her chocolate cream pie that made everyone go starry-eyed. Afterwards, when she presented Mikoto with a glittering brooch, Mikoto's eyes brimmed over with tears as she hugged her.

"My! What a thoughtful present!" Mikoto exclaimed as she pinned it to the front of her shirt and left it on for the rest of the evening. Fugaku hummed approvingly when he unwrapped cologne. Sasuke looked absolutely floored when she handed him a box too. Inside was pair of dark gloves to wear during exercise in cold weather. Finally, she extracted a bag for Itachi. His eyes went wide as he pulled out a long black and white checked scarf made from cashmere.

"Oh isn't that nice! You were looking for a good scarf too, Itachi-kun!" Mikoto commented as Itachi wound it around his neck and nodded approvingly.

"Thank you, Sakura-san," Itachi said and Sakura managed to meet his eyes long enough to smile before she felt her face grow hot again and had to turn away. After presents was another hour of coffee and lingering conversation before Sakura remembered that she had plans with Hinata the next day so she quickly excused herself.

"Merry Christmas, honey. Are you going to the shrine with Itachi-kun next week?" Mikoto asked as everyone rose and moved to the front door. As she spoke, Mikoto handed Sakura her things and even held up her jacket so she could slip her arms through. Sakura tried not to look too alarmed as she quickly peeked a look at Itachi standing to her right. But he was watching her too with equal interest, waiting for her answer.

"Haha. Well, most likely with our friends. Thank you very much for dinner tonight," Sakura replied, trying her best to smile as naturally as possible as she bowed.

"Be careful. A young lady living by herself should always be vigilant," police chief Fugaku reminded her and Mikoto nodded.

"I will be. Good night Fugaku-san, Mikoto-san," Sakura said. She saw Sasuke standing on the stairs behind his parents and she tentatively raised a hand to wave at him. To her surprise, Sasuke took his hand out of his pocket and waved back. He was already wearing the gloves she had given him.

"Please, head back inside. It's cold tonight," Sakura urged. Mikoto smiled as she went back into her home along with her husband.

"Are you all ready to go, Sakura-san?" Itachi inquired as he retrieve his car keys from his pocket. She automatically went to agree, but then stopped. It had been snowing steadily since noon and even now, the fat white flakes were spilling from the dark sky. She gazed longingly up at the heavens and Itachi was puzzled by her silence.

"Would you rather walk?" he offered when she bent over to scoop up a mittenful of snow and weigh it in her palm. At his words, she turned to him with the first true smile of the evening.

"Yes please!" she chirruped as she cheerfully took off down the powdery street. A minute later, she could hear his feet crunching closer through the snow as he caught up to her. She tried to stifle her gasp as he reached around to take the bag containing leftovers that Mikoto had prepared for her.

"How unusual. Aren't you going to try to argue with me?" he asked teasingly. And she could tell that he was trying his best to ease the tension, but it was all she could do not to melt into a useless pile of hyperventilating goo right there So she nodded before burrowing her face deeper into her scarf to try and conceal the bright red flush of her cheeks. It was stupid just how easily she blushed around him lately. Just a few weeks ago she had sat untangling his hair and now even one of his simple glances made her feel like she was about to have a meltdown. Freaking out, she had finally caved and called Hinata to ask for her advice (which was what tomorrow's plans were for). But in the meantime, her ability to interact with Itachi without exploding into confetti was reduced to simple nods and short sentences.

Their silent walk was punctuated by their feet tramping through the snow. She could feel his eyes on the side of her head. It was a while before he spoke.

"I'm… getting the feeling… that I've done something to upset you," he began in a soft voice and her head immediately whipped around to look at him.

Which was an enormous mistake. Because she immediately grew embarrassed again and had to look away.

"No. You haven't," she shortly replied, cringing at how cold she sounded. Itachi heaved a deep sigh.

"Like that. You seem really uncomfortable around me lately. Did I say something?" he continued and as he spoke, his tone grew softer and sadder until Sakura thought she might actually cry. Some smaller part of her felt guilty, awful even, for making him feel bad. But the larger part of her, the short-tempered side that laughed at Kisame attacking Deidara and passing the student council's office and seeing Neji drowning in paperwork roared to life.

And she was mad.

Were all men so dense?

"Anyway, if you don't want to have to speak to me anymore, that's fine-"

"THAT'S NOT IT!" she half-shrieked and her voice pierced the calm night. Sakura was fairly certain that a few heads popped out of the windows of the houses nearby. But she planted her feet firmly in the snow and turned to face him.

"It is your fault but I'm not mad at you, Itachi-san!" Sakura firmly stated and his eyes grew wide.

"This is all your fault! Being so nice and walking me home in the dark and offering advice and being all nice and smart and perfect all the time and making me think that…. Think..." she ranted. But by the end of her explosion, she had already run out of steam and the blush was spreading across her face again. But this time they were standing under a street light and she knew that he could clearly see her bright red cheeks.

"Um… anyway…. I'm not angry with you…. So…." Sakura mumbled before she turned and began walking briskly. But Itachi's legs were much longer than hers and he caught her arm before she even took five steps.

"Wait. Wait. You. Are you saying…?" Sakura blinked owlishly as she looked up into his face. And for the first time, she realized that his face was slightly rosier than it should have been, even from the cold. And after another moment, she realized that this was the first time she had even seen Uchiha Itachi being less than perfectly coherent. He always knew what to say, always knew what to do. To see him flustered was somewhat… endearing?

"Correct me if I'm wrong… but are you saying that you like me, Sakura-san?" Itachi finally managed to ask. And Sakura, frozen in his grip, managed to turn an even brighter shade of crimson as she looked away and slowly nodded.

She waited and waited for his response, a rejection, an apology- anything. But he was silent. She bit her lower lip, already anticipating his face wracked with guilt as he tried to find a way to let her down easy. But when she gathered the courage to look at him again, she found that he looked utterly relieved.

"I thought I was going insane. But… you had a crush on Sasuke so I thought that maybe you were confused…" Itachi's words trailed off when Sakura's expression turned murderous. All embarrassment forgotten, she jerked out of his grip and fixed him with a stern look.

"Itachi-san, I'm not some stupid kid anymore. I told you that I don't like Sasuke anymore; that I got over that insignificant crush. And I know what I feel now and I know it has nothing to do with that grumpy little chicken-butt at all!" she ground out as she poked her pointer finger into his chest to accentuate her words. It only made her more irritated when she saw that he was trying to suppress a smile. She scowled at him when he reached out and took hold of the hand jabbing him in the chest. But all her irritation disappeared when she realized that he wasn't just holding her hand.

Uchiha Itachi was holding her hand.

"I'm sorry. I know you're not stupid. That's just me being paranoid," he quietly replied and the way the corner of his mouth lifted crookedly as he smiled made her heart thump wildly inside her ribcage.

"Um… okay," she replied faintly.

"… If I try to do anything more than this, will you pass out?" he inquired after studying her face for a moment.

"I might pass out now… so maybe next time," she agreed and they both laughed a little.

"Alright then. Let's get you home," Itachi said as he let their arms fall naturally between them.

So they walked, joined hands swinging like they had always belonged there. And Sakura was proud of the way she managed to giggle only a little at just how happy she was in that moment. Every few seconds, she would peek up at him and he would be watching her too with amusement glittering in his dark eyes. When they reached her apartment, he walked her all the way up the stairs, waiting for her to find her keys and unlock the door.

"Well…. Good night…" Sakura said in barely above a whisper. And Itachi, who suddenly seemed so much taller than her, nodded. Her back was up against the door and she was so conscious of how close he was.

"Good night. Merry Christmas," he replied in a voice just as quiet. When he leaned forward, her breath caught in her throat. She had just had dinner and coffee so her breath wouldn't be so nice. And she hadn't done any make-up that day so she knew that he would be able to see her dark circles. Still, squeezing her eyes shut, she waited. But instead of the expected contact, his lips lightly touched her forehead.

"Don't forget to lock your door, Sakura-san," Itachi murmured before his hand lightly touched the top of her head and he walked off.

It took her a minute to compose herself, hands shaking and a stupid smile spreading across her face. When she did manage to get inside her house and secure the locks, she plopped down on the kitchen floor and groped around in her pocket for her cell phone.

"Hinata-chan! Hinata-chan! Guess what just happened!"

And Sakura would have never guessed that her quiet friend would have been capable of making such a high-pitched shriek of delight.

"Nii-san, why are you… beaming?" Sasuke demanded when his older brother entered the house.

"I'm not, Sasuke," he flatly replied in his usual calm voice. But when Itachi turned to hang up his coat, Sasuke shuddered again.

"You're right. You're… dazzling. Ugh, it's like Gai-sensei on cocaine! I think I'm going to have nightmares!" Sasuke groaned as he turned and ran up to his room.

Thanks, as always, to every single reader. And big hugs and much love to all my reviewers!

Please leave reviews because I get a lot of motivation and inspiration from them.