Chapter 7 – The More I Lock You Out
"I'm kind of sad to be leaving," she said with a small laugh.
"So am I," Deidara replied and after making sure his hair wasn't in the way, he fixed his bag strap over his shoulder. "It was a good change, yeah."
Yeah, it was. And she hoped, more than anything, that going back to Konoha wouldn't take away the confidence she'd gained over the weekend. Sakura knew it would be non-existent around Fugaku, but hopefully it wouldn't around Sasuke. She liked calling him out on his bullshit, forcing him to listen to her. Honestly, Sakura believed they were closer for it. He'd even accepted the public displays of affection without much of a problem.
Last night, she had made sure to send everyone a friend request on her social media profile. That way, if they ever wanted to hang out, it was pretty easy to get hold of her. Did it make her seem desperate, though? Wanting to hang out with Itachi's friends because they were better than her own?
"Oi."
She faced the blond, asking, "Yeah?"
"Keep working on your confidence, yeah," he muttered, single blue eye focusing on the entrance to the hotel. At that moment, they were the only two outside, patiently waiting for the others to sign them out. It'd been way too hot inside and already, Sakura was dreading the long drive home. "And put him in his place when you need to."
How was she supposed to reply to that? Not knowing how to, she remained silent, merely nodding in agreement. The last thing she wanted was to have a disagreement with Deidara before they went their separate ways – she truly believed she made a friend. It'd be a shame to lose that friendship only days after making it.
The sight of Sasuke and Naruto leaving the hotel had her perking up, smiling at the sight of them both. Behind them, the rest of group exited, most of them appearing as hungover as she suspected them of being. Many of them had gone overboard the night before (mainly Yahiko, Naruto and Kisame), forgetting that they had to brave the five hour drive back to Konoha.
"We need to hang out more," Naruto told them all, raising his voice so that she and Deidara could hear him. Grinning when even Sasuke didn't disagree with him, he added, "This weekend's been crazy."
Grateful when her boyfriend unlocked his car, she spared no time in throwing her bags onto the back seat. Naruto was busy stretching his limbs like he was about to go into battle, having already claimed that he'd sleep most of the journey home. Yesterday, he'd been spared from a hangover, but it finally caught up with him due to last night's antics.
Much to her surprise, Konan approached her with a smile and held out her hand, offering Sakura a paper flower. She took a few moments to accept, in awe of the delicate creases and folds of the pink paper, the cherry blossom seeming like it took her a while to make it.
"Thank you, Konan-san," she told her, admiring its beauty with wide green eyes.
Konan's smiled warmed. "Take care of it," she said. "Unlike the real flower, this one lasts longer than a season, though only if you look after it. Ensure you do the same for yourself."
A gift with a meaning – her favourite kind. It was impossible holding back her smile. "I will," she promised her.
"You know the weekend was a success when Itachi-san admits he's enjoying himself," said Kisame from the driver's seat of his car. Already, his windows were all the way down, sweat beading on his blue temple. One day, she decided, she would question him about his tattoos. There had to be a reason why he had so many – and why were they all in shades of blue? "Same goes for his little brother."
Sakura rolled her eyes at Sasuke's predictable gruff response, smiling as he walked by her. When meeting her eye, she saw the smile in his eyes and it had her heart melting. His brother had a similar expression as he placed his bag into the back of Kisame's car, though paused when Naruto asked what the hell he was doing.
"We're probably gonna go straight to your place," he said and rubbed his stomach. "I can't wait to eat one of Mikoto-oba's breakfasts."
She slapped him upside the head. "Mikoto-san doesn't live to cater to you, Naruto."
"She said she doesn't mind," came his whine. Somehow he missed the annoyed glower sent his way by Sasuke. Outwardly, he always made a fuss of Naruto calling Mikoto his aunt, but she knew it didn't bother him really. According to Naruto's mother: he used to call her 'aunt' when he was a kid, too. "Please, Sakura-chan? Please?"
Smirking at the childish insistence, Itachi closed the door of Kisame's car, informing Naruto, "Our parents are currently away, Naruto-kun. They have taken advantage of having a free weekend together and won't be back until later tonight."
The responding howl of despair had Sakura groaning. "Naruto, get up off the floor," she hissed, face turning red with embarrassment when she noticed strangers shooting them suspicious stares. "People think we're murdering you."
"Let them," he muttered hopelessly into the ground, eyes dull. "Oba's gone. She's taken her cooking skills and left me, Sakura-chan."
For f–
Grabbing the collar of his shirt, she yanked him off the floor and nodded her thanks when Sasuke opened the door to his car, shutting it as soon as she shoved their blond idiot into the back seat.
"I guess that is our cue to part ways," said Nagato, barely containing his chuckles. There was no stopping them when Yahiko approached the window of Sasuke's car, cheerfully waving goodbye to a depressed Naruto who could only stare back, heartbroken. "We will try our best not to leave it too long."
Konan nodded in agreement. "Even if it is only once a month, we will arrange some kind of night out."
That sounded good, even though part of her disliked the thought of it only being one night a month. It was to be expected, she supposed. Itachi's friends all had jobs and commitments, whereas they were on summer break until university started in the fall. For all she knew, they could even have kids.
"I take it you're not coming with us."
She looked between the two brothers. Somehow, she'd forgotten about Naruto telling Itachi to join them in Sasuke's car – she only remembered when he made his way around Kisame's car. Joining him were Sasori and Deidara, the former of the two already seated and waiting to go. The blond was busy talking to Yahiko, reminding him to share the pictures of the weekend with him.
"Do you feel comfortable with the drive?" questioned Itachi, his eyes suddenly taking in Sasuke's haggard appearance. Concern briefly settled on his expression, gaze straying to his brother's car.
Shit, she hadn't thought about Sasuke's ability to drive after a weekend of drinking. It was his first time getting completely wasted and he'd told her just that morning how horrific he felt, bringing up all the contents of his stomach along with anything he tried to eat. On the other hand, Itachi had been careful. He hadn't been half as bad as the rest of them. The same went for Nagato, who didn't hesitate to take the keys from Yahiko when he tried to get in the driver's seat.
Of course, however, her boyfriend's pride was way too big to disagree. "I-"
"I think you should take over," she blurted out, inwardly flinching at the glare of betrayal sent her way. "We can't even take turns in driving – I drank more than Sasuke-kun."
"Go with them, Itachi-san," Kisame called through the window, his sharp eyes also taking note of Sasuke's appearance. "I'd hate to hear that they all died in an accident that could've been avoided."
"I'm fine-"
"Sasuke." Already, Itachi had his bags, eyes narrowing on his brother in a way that silenced him long before he spoke up. "Sleep it off. Your pride is not as important as your lives."
Before he could fight with her on it, Sakura slipped into the front seat, ducking to hide from his annoyed glare. She glanced onto the back seat, eyes rolling when she saw that Naruto had already passed out, his face pressed up against the window. At least her boyfriend would have something else to worry about, she thought hopefully. When he saw how much their friend was drooling on his window, he'd forget about how annoyed he was with her.
It took a few extra minutes of quiet, not-so-gentle persuasion, but soon enough, Itachi was sliding into the seat next to her, ignoring Sasuke's sigh of frustration when he began to move the seat back and adjust the mirrors. His annoyance regarding that, Sakura could understand. There was nothing worse than finding the perfect position for everything, only to have someone move everything when they took the wheel. However, it was a necessary evil, even if her boyfriend's selective OCD flared up massively, driving him insane. No doubt he would spend hours trying to perfect the angles again.
Once the engine was started, all windows were opened, Sasuke's eyes going comically wide when Naruto's drool was dragged all the way up his window, leaving a cringeworthy smear that would be a bitch to clear.
"Breathe, Sasuke," Itachi said with a sigh. Catching sight of the others already leaving, he tipped his head to them. She didn't hesitate to lean out the window, waving goodbye. "You will give yourself an aneurysm one day."
"Easy for you to say," came his mutter and she could tell, from a single glare shot towards Naruto, that their best friend's life would be endangered should Sasuke be pushed any further. "He didn't even brush his teeth this morning or last night."
"How do you know that?"
"Because his toothbrush is still in our hotel bathroom."
And Naruto had been staying in Nagato's room. Sakura shuddered. It wasn't only that morning and last night, then. It was the entire freaking weekend.
Surprisingly, Itachi was unaffected, smoothly pulling out of the car park. Glancing down at her, he stated rather than asked, "Sasuke never lets anyone drive his car, does he?"
There was an indignant yell behind her that she tried extra hard to ignore. "Never."
He smirked, unknowingly making her stomach twist with excitement, similar to how the roller coasters had made her feel.
"I think he's actually fainted, Itachi-san."
"Leave him," he ordered quietly, finally easing up on the accelerator. "My brother must learn to stop taking everything so seriously."
"That's easy for you to say," she argued and once more checked on the two sleeping boys in the back seat. Naruto's head was half hanging out of the window, his hair beyond help thanks to the wind. Sasuke had shut his window only seconds into the drive, sunglasses covering his eyes to try and hide his growing panic and anger. "I'm the one who's going to take the brunt of it when we get home – he'll say I should've agreed with him."
"And risk your lives?"
"Well, no, but-"
Sighing, she watched the older brother in contemplative silence, trying to find the best way to word her sentence without making it seem like her boyfriend was a bad person. During that time, Itachi spared her a single glance, his sunglasses hiding whatever expression was in his eyes. Unlike when Sasuke was driving, Itachi was relaxed with only one hand on the wheel, arm resting on the door comfortably and the wind was blowing through his hair. Only briefly did she worry about it obscuring the view – it was obvious from his casualness that he was in full control of the car.
Comforted by his confidence and following his example, she also relaxed in her seat, though continued to face him as she said, "Sasuke-kun's…" Gods, why was it so hard to find the right words? "He-"
"Needs to be in control," Itachi stated, not asked. "You cannot disagree with me on that."
No, she couldn't, but… He wasn't always a control freak. The weekend they'd just shared proved that, right? "But he means well," she argued. "It's just been drilled into him to be a certain type of person."
Faintly, Itachi smirked, pausing in his response as he overtook several cars on the highway before returning to the first lane. "We have the same parents, Sakura-san."
"But maybe Sasuke-kun could never find the courage to stand up to your father."
That took the smirk off his face. "How bad?"
"Bad enough for Mikoto-san to beg me to do all I can to get Sasuke-kun out of the box he keeps shoving him in."
He sighed at that and she could see the guilt in the brief twitch of muscles on his features, in the tightening of his grip on the steering wheel. "Shisui said it was uncomfortable, though failed to disclose many details."
"There was more pressure put on him when you left," she said, understanding he wanted those details now. "And Sasuke-kun didn't know how to balance everything. He was exhausted the first year, but I think he eventually learned to adjust." Maybe that was why he was so hot and cold when it came to Itachi? Sometimes he liked his older brother, sometimes he couldn't stand to be in his presence. "It was still hard – whenever we went out to anything business related, Sasuke-kun…" Grimacing, she checked behind her and was happy to find he was still sleeping. "It's kind of like a switch that he's forgotten how to switch off."
"I noticed," Itachi murmured and she saw his eyebrows knitting together. "This weekend was the first time since my return where he didn't act like a miniature version of our father."
It was why she was so happy about the time they'd spent together. For the first time in years, Sasuke opened up. He let them all in. He enjoyed himself. "He's learned to do whatever's expected of him," she continued, frowning. "Fugaku-san doesn't only praise him if he's done a good job – he spoils him."
There was a deep sigh from beside her, leading her to look his way again. "Sasuke has always worked hard to gain Father's praise and attention."
Yeah, and now that the attention was back on the older brother, he was feeling resentful. Sasuke was worried he was going to be shoved aside again. Itachi was home now – using Sasuke's own words, what use did Fugaku have for the second best? He was no longer necessary. But, to try and prove his father wrong, Sasuke continued to follow each and every order like a mindless soldier, doing whatever necessary to prove he was just as good as Itachi, if not better.
"You'd have to screw up massively to change Fugaku-san's mind," she muttered and rolled her eyes, feeling a slither of the annoyance and jealousy her boyfriend felt every day. "Even then, he'd still favour you."
Something about her words irked him. It was obvious he disliked them as he met her gaze with a frown of his own, asking, "Please don't say that, Sakura-san. I know you hurt for Sasuke, but you only know one side of a story made up of five perspectives – two sides, if you truly understand Sasuke like you believe you do."
What the hell was that supposed to mean? "I've been there more than you have these past few years," she snapped in disbelief, but as soon as the words left her mouth, Sakura wished she could take them back, her heart feeling like it stopped for a few moments in pure horror. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."
"No," he said, voice cool. "You shouldn't have."
"I'm sorry-"
"You may believe you know all there is to know about my family, Sakura-san, but you could not be further from the truth." She winced at the lack of emotion in his tone, unable to bring herself to look in his direction. "The fact you have not run a mile already tells me that."
Finally, she looked back to him, features twisting with confusion. "What?"
But that was the moment Naruto decided to wake up, freaking out when his eyes opened to the sight of the road disappearing beneath him. At some point, his entire head had left the car and the sight had Sakura sighing. If she'd noticed, she would have pulled him back in, if only to save his mini heart attack as he accidentally began closing the window on himself, struggling to understand what was happening. Swiftly, Itachi came to his rescue, controlling the electric window from the front seat as he opened it again, allowing Naruto to pull himself back to safety.
"Shit, I-" He was red in the face, blue eyes wider than they've ever been. "I think I saw my life flash before my eyes, guys."
That wouldn't surprise her considering the fact he'd almost taken his own head off with the window. "Here," she mumbled, handing her drink to him. "You can finish it."
His hands were shaking when he took it from her, downing the water, only complaining when he'd finished half a litre of it. "Why the hell are you drinking water? It's so boring."
At least he was feeling better. "It's a hot day, Naruto," she explained patiently and leaned back in her seat, deciding a nap wouldn't be too bad. There was no chance of finishing that conversation with Itachi now and she was too much of a coward to sit beside him for another four hours while he was angry with her. "And I'm hungover. Why wouldn't I drink water?"
"It's boring," he repeated, elongating the words just in case she didn't hear his reasoning the first time.
The next four hours were going to be hell, she decided with a mental whine.
"Sleep it off," Itachi ordered quietly. "Before Father returns."
He was so hungover, Sakura noticed. Sasuke didn't even have the energy to grab his bag from the car, or argue with his brother, or fight Naruto when the blond stumbled after him, claiming he was going to pass out in one of the guest rooms before facing the wrath of his mother. She knew he was hoping to catch Mikoto at some point, however.
"Wait." Sasuke turned and gestured to her, saying, "I need to take Sakura home. She-"
"I will do it," he replied, cutting him off. "Rest, Sasuke."
Too tired to care, he nodded once, walking off. It stung, as she'd been expecting some kind of goodbye. And what about her? His brother could murder her, for all he knew. Then again, Sasuke had slept more or less the entire five hours. He hadn't noticed the tension between her and his brother – if he had, he wouldn't have agreed. He would've told her to stay at his place for a few hours, until he'd rested enough to take her home. Right?
Hidden behind her sunglasses, Sakura silently pleaded with her eyes for him to return. Facing Itachi after shoving not only one foot, but both feet, in her mouth, was the last thing she wanted to do. Why the hell had she called him out like that?
"Relax," he said once he set off, then sighed. "I am not angry."
"Could've fooled me," she could only mumble. How dangerous would it be to jump out of the car? He was only doing twenty, so it shouldn't hurt too bad, right?
"I will admit: I didn't like what you said."
Didn't like? Didn't like? She'd say it went a bit deeper than didn't like. Shit, he could've solved global warming with how cold he'd become.
"However, I know you have a point. I wasn't there."
"It's fine," she told him, wanting nothing more than to end the conversation before it became more comfortable. She couldn't promise not to start eating her feet again. "Honestly, Itachi-san. I-"
"Please, Sakura-san." He caught her eye, expression genuine. "I am trying to apologise."
Oh. Then… "Okay."
A ghost of a smirk pulled at the corner of his lip, catching her attention and surprising her with how similar he was to Sasuke. They had the same expression, but at the same time, they were nothing alike. Unlike when Sasuke pulled that face, there was no maliciousness coming from Itachi. It was something the younger brother did when he was going to be extra cruel and for a few brief moments, just in case, Sakura braced herself, because while Sasuke was never intentionally nasty towards her, she couldn't say the same for Itachi. Maybe she was about to see the personality Sasuke told her about? The cold, arrogant Itachi? Maybe he'd been luring her into a false sense of security by acting like the Itachi before he left?
"Thank you," he said, smirk forming fully at how easy it was for her to agree to hearing out his apology. "Please forgive me for how rudely I acted towards you. It was inexcusable."
No, it wasn't. Not at all. "I shouldn't have said-" She sighed and looked down at her fidgeting hands. When they pulled up at a light, she felt him look her way. "I'm sorry, too."
"You were speaking the truth – words I must learn to face," came his easy admission. "I did leave and in doing so, I left Sasuke alone to face our father and his overbearing ways."
"I think he's done well," she said, trying to smile.
He sighed at that, eyes returning to the road when the light changed to green. "I don't."
Really? Sakura couldn't help but silently question Itachi's sanity. Everyone always talked about how much of a genius he was, how he was a so-called prodigy. How could someone who was so smart, be so goddamn blind? Sasuke, for all his faults, had exceeded his father's expectations in many ways. He rose to the challenges thrown his way, never once showing his father any weakness. In front of him, he stayed strong. Everything that was said to him, every sly comment or comparison of how his beloved older brother would've done so much better, didn't have any effect on him until he was out of his father's sight. He didn't let Fugaku know how badly he got to him.
Her respect for her boyfriend had skyrocketed after being present for several of those berating conversations. He just took it. He didn't argue, didn't try to defend himself. Not one flicker of what he was truly feeling would show when Fugaku tore into him. She could only recall two memories where the words had really hurt him, enough that he teared up and raged so badly that Naruto had to restrain him – again, that was after Fugaku left. Every other time, Sasuke used those harsh words to push himself harder. To better himself.
"All he's trying to do," she began and was unable to stop the tremble in her voice, "is be a good son." Gods, she was getting so angry for Sasuke. More angry than she ever thought possible. Her heart was aching for him because what the hell did Itachi know? He'd disappeared for years. Left him alone to face Fugaku's bullying. "His biggest fear is being a disappointment."
"Which is most important," he questioned, sparing her a single glance, eyebrow raising, "being a disappointment to one man, but simultaneously growing into a fine, respected man with integrity and the ability to show love to those you care for, or following orders blindly, never thinking for yourself and hurting those you love in the process by becoming the one person you secretly despise the most?"
Did he have a point? Definitely. She noticed many similarities between Fugaku and Sasuke. She noticed how cold her boyfriend was becoming and like Itachi said: it hurt the ones he loved. But was it as simple as he made it out to be? Hell no. Standing up to the man who could take everything away in an instant was terrifying for the strongest of men. Like Sasuke had said the other night: Itachi had financial aid to back him up. He went against his father's wishes knowing he had a backup plan. If Sasuke didn't rely on him so goddamn much, he could've done the same. He could've stopped letting Fugaku walk all over him years ago.
It was with an immense relief that she noticed the scenery changing, informing her they had left the wealthier side of Konoha. She couldn't wait to get out of the damned car and away from him, her anger growing by the minute for her boyfriend.
"Your loyalty is admirable," Itachi suddenly told her, pulling up at another set of lights. "However, you are blind to the reality of your situation, Sakura-san."
If he said one more goddamn word about her relationship–
"One day, you are going to have to face that reality." Would it be rude of her to turn the radio up? It'd be too childish, wouldn't it? "And I hope, for your sake more than anyone's, that you can walk away from it unscathed."
Anger got the best of her, all but exploding out of her as she spun in her seat, ripping her sunglasses off so he could see how pissed off she was. "What the hell would you know?" Unlike Naruto, however, he wasn't affected by her snarl. He didn't pale at the sight of her rage. Didn't tremble with fear while she shook with anger. "You left him," she yelled and out of the corner of her eye, she saw pedestrians turn quickly, watching their argument with palpable shock. "You left him to face your bastard father alone. Sasuke-kun did everything he could to stay on his good side because Fugaku-san never hesitated to tear into him and make him feel worthless."
Dark eyes were fixed on the traffic lights and she could see from the clenching of his jaw that Itachi was losing his patience with them. The second they turned green, he was off. "I-"
She silenced him without hesitating, her gaze daring him to argue with her. "I don't blame him for bending over backwards trying to please your father. That bastard bullies him every chance he gets – imagine pushing your son so goddamn hard that he broke down the second he was away from him." That got Itachi's attention, his eyes snapping to her face, demanding answers. "He couldn't even hold it in like he usually does. He cried like a child in front of us. So don't you dare badmouth Sasuke-kun in front of me. Not when he's only trying his best for an easier life." It was quiet for a few moments, her anger making her breathless. Then, finally, she said, "Turn left here."
He did so without hesitation, following her next instructions of taking the third right, followed by turning left.
It was hard staying angry when she struggled against her seat belt and she reluctantly allowed Itachi to unbuckle her. While he was so close to her, she imagined accidentally hitting him over the head with her bag in preparation of getting out. "Sorry, did that catch you? Oh, I'm so sorry. That couldn't have felt good." Once the seat belt was off, she glared at him once more, ignoring the smirk on his lips as she yanked her bags out of the back seat. If it hadn't been Sasuke's beloved car, she would've slammed the doors, but she knew it was the fastest way of pissing him off. Instead, Sakura sent him a final glare, ignoring the sharp pain of her bag tugging on the ends of her hair as she spun.
"You're welcome," he called after her.
Her middle finger was his only response. She pretended not to hear his chuckling.
It was with excessive force that Sakura pressed the keys of her laptop, logging into her social media page.
Stupid Itachi. Every time they had some kind of deep conversation, he got under her skin. She couldn't recall him ever possessing that ability before he left for university, but then again, they'd never had heart to hearts back then. She'd been a kid to him – a silly girl who was dating his little brother.
"Idiot," she muttered.
There was still no word from Ino, Sakura noticed with a dull ache in her chest. Did the blonde even notice her silence? Probably not, she thought dryly, clicking through the pictures of her friend's latest night out. Somewhere in the past two weeks, she'd become friends with the people she'd always claimed were vermin: Ami, Kasumi, Fuki and Karin. For vermin, they looked awfully close – the sight filling her with a mixture of sadness and betrayal. After the first year of high school, Ino had sworn they were their enemies, always sending them her scariest glares whenever they so much as glanced their way. It was funny how quickly things changed.
Just as she felt herself really starting to feel low, her notifications suddenly blew up, making her eyes go wide as she clicked on the first. It took her to a collection of pictures taken over the weekend, the sight easing the aching of her heart as she recalled the happiness she'd felt. Deidara was the one who posted them, along with a title for the album which read, "Fine art is the beauty of that single fleeting moment."
How many had he taken? Green eyes widened as she counted over two hundred, many of which were taken without the group's knowledge. Clicking through them, Sakura found herself blushing out of embarrassment, disbelief and happiness. There were so many pictures of her and surprisingly, they were good. Any that were embarrassing were also hilarious and she couldn't find a single reason to hate them, even when she spotted the one of her and Sasuke taking their first shot, expressions twisted with disgust.
Sound burst through her speakers when she clicked on one of the videos and Sakura laughed at the mingled screaming of her and Naruto, eyes wide with awe when she watched herself leaping onto the crowd. In that moment, she looked wild. She looked confident. And even while nervous as hell, she held those notes pretty well, even if she did say so herself. The other videos were similar, showing their grand performances on the karaoke. There was even one of the bonfire the next night, taking in the sunset and the sight of them all relaxing, enjoying the view.
One picture in particular caught her attention and Sakura frowned minutely, pausing in clicking onto the next. It was of her and Itachi, with her laying on her back on the towel, sunglasses raised partially so that she could make direct eye contact with him. Itachi was leaning on one elbow, resting on his hip and looking down at her, eyebrow raised and lips pulling at the corner with that damned smirk of his.
In the picture, they looked close. Much closer than she'd originally realised and Sakura's frown deepened. To an outsider, it probably looked… No, surely not. Did it? She squinted, but then groaned with annoyance and sat back against the headboard of her bed, fingers tapping a restless rhythm against her laptop. They didn't look too close, did they? No. They couldn't have. Sasuke and Naruto had joined them not long afterwards and had it looked odd, they would have called them out on it – not that there was anything to call them out on. It just looked… odd. To her, at least. Was that weird? She was on her back, arms raised and due to the movement, her breasts seemed perkier, legs bent at the knees. Maybe she just wasn't used to seeing herself so… bare?
As well as those confusing thoughts, the picture brought forth a surge of guilt and with a sigh, Sakura reached for her phone, scrolling through her call log until she found the number Itachi had called her on. It was only after a few moments of hesitation that she decided to hell with it, calling him. It rang a handful of times before he answered.
"Itachi speaking."
"I want to apologise," she blurted out. There was no point wasting time with small talk. "For earlier."
"Oh?" It sounded like there was a smile in his voice and she tightened her hold on the phone, unable to explain the feeling it provoked. Was it frustration? Annoyance? Gods, he was such a jerk. "I thought I was the wrong one?"
She scowled and sat up, placing her laptop on the bed. "If you thought that, why didn't you apologise first?"
He hummed thoughtfully and Sakura took a deep breath. It was definitely frustration. She should have left apologising until she'd completely calmed down. "Arrogance? Pride, perhaps?"
"You-"
"Did you call to shout at me again?"
Another sigh. "No. I just wanted to apologise."
"I see," he murmured and she heard the sound of a page being turned. Was he reading while talking with her? He must have been, because she heard it shut, followed by his own sigh. "I would also like to apologise."
"Good," she said brightly, smiling. "I accept your apology." There was a moment of pause and Sakura frowned, asking quietly, "Itachi-san, have you seen the pictures Deidara-san posted?"
"I am not online."
Seriously? In a world controlled by the internet and having the latest gadgets? Groaning at the inconvenience, she asked, "Do you have an email at least? I can forward them to you."
Another pause. When he spoke next, she could hear the frown in his voice. "Should I be worried?"
"I-" Sakura cut herself off, sighing irritably. The picture was still enlarged on her screen and she was certain that the more she looked at it, the closer they seemed. In her eyes, he may as well have been on top of her. "I don't know. It's one of us and-" Again, she abruptly ended her sentence, scowling. "I don't know. We just look… really close, if you know what I mean."
Hearing the lilt in her voice had him letting out a soft, "I see."
"I'm probably overreacting," she said in a weak attempt to reassure him. "Maybe it's just because I'm in a bikini?"
"Forward it."
Without his email address, she could only forward the picture via text and she silently apologised to her poor father, since they weren't a part of her monthly plan. It wouldn't cost an absurd amount, he'd simply be grumpy that it went against his budget (which would, in turn, aggravate her mother, who was ridiculously strict when it came to it).
For a while, he didn't say anything and Sakura frowned, listening intently like she would be able to hear his physical reaction.
"…Ah."
"So I'm not the only one?" she questioned, heart beginning to pound. Shit, what would Sasuke think? "Do you see it, too?"
"Yes," he murmured and it sounded as though he was standing. "It's odd that we didn't realise how close we were."
Her tossing and turning, constantly changing how she wanted to sunbathe was probably the cause of it, Sakura thought, biting her lip. Then he'd obviously rolled onto his side to speak more directly to her and just… Shit, it really didn't look good. From the angle the picture was taken, there wasn't even an inch between their bodies.
"It's not that it's a bad picture," Sakura said and her cheeks coloured, the sight of her exposed skin filling her with mixed emotions. While she looked good, she wasn't sure she liked that the thousands of friends on Deidara's account could see her. Already, the picture had likes in the double digits. Sure, it would be for Itachi too, because she couldn't deny he looked great too. Deidara definitely knew his angles. "I'm just… What's Sasuke-kun going to think?"
"Nothing," he assured her, voice soft. "Remember: that is how we were talking when he approached us, Sakura-san. There is nothing suspicious about it as we're merely two friends talking."
"Hm." Narrowing her eyes on the picture, Sakura rolled her bottom lip between her finger and thumb. The likes were stacking up, followed by many comments asking Deidara who she and Itachi were. Someone even asked if the Uchiha was a model. "How is this any different from Sasori-san's drawing?" she questioned, frowning. "We were so harsh, weren't we?"
Another sigh. "The difference is that, to draw you, Sasori-san would have been watching you closely for an undetermined length of time. Not to mention the attention he gave your body, Sakura-san. It was inappropriate of him."
"Yeah, I guess he was pretty generous when it came to that," she said, laughing. "At least Deidara-san's pictures have different angles-"
When she cut herself off suddenly, he called out, saying, "Sakura-san? Is something wrong?"
Green eyes were wide. She wasn't sure how to take the direction the comments were going in, her stomach flipping with a new kind of excitement. "N-Nothing," she mumbled, then spoke up, saying, "Uh, I think Deidara-san is pimping us out."
"Excuse me?"
"This is a direct quote from one of the comments: 'how much would they charge to take part in a photo shoot? I'm trying to make a portfolio and these two would be a great addition.' And that's followed by Deidara-san saying: 'I can talk to them. I'm sure I can negotiate a price.' What do you think?"
There was a long pause and quickly, Sakura checked her phone, making sure they hadn't been disconnected. They hadn't, shocking her as he realised he was shocked.
Then, he admitted, "I'm unsure how I feel."
"Oh," she gasped, eyes going wide again. "I have a message from Deidara-san." Clicking on the notification, she skimmed the words, reading aloud to Itachi, "I know you've seen the comments on the picture. Can you do it? She's a good kid. Got a good eye, too."
"Are you considering it?" he asked. "Just a few moments ago you weren't thrilled about the picture."
No, she hadn't been. But the thought of someone seeing some kind of talent in her – enough beauty for her to model was… It stroked her ego, her confidence getting kicked up a notch or two. "They'd probably change their mind, anyway," she said with a short laugh. "I'm way too short to model."
"Deidara-san and those associated with him stand out for a reason, Sakura-san," he said after a few moments, another frown in his voice. "They won't care how tall you are."
To hell with it. "I'm going to try it," she said, feeling brave for once. "It could be fun, right?" Before he could even reply, she was typing back to Deidara, asking him what the photo shoot would involve. "He said the photo shoot could be anything. It depends on what inspires her." Green eyes went back and forth across the chat, her fingers skimming the keys. Then, her heart sunk at his next response and she sighed. "She wants both of us."
It felt like it'd been a while since Itachi last spoke and it had her briefly feeling guilty, as she'd been so focused on the conversation with Deidara. "Sakura-san…"
"It's okay." She worked hard to keep the disappointment out of her voice, even going as far as to smile, despite the fact he couldn't see her. "It'd probably be awkward-"
"You were uncomfortable with how others may view that picture of us," he explained patiently, voice soft again. "If this woman wishes for us both to model for her, there is no telling what she would ask of us."
That was true. She hadn't thought about that. Grimacing, Sakura warred against the part of her screaming to be daring, to claw the confidence back in. Somebody thought she was pretty enough to model for them – her confidence was at an all time high, so much higher than it'd ever been in the past.
"I'll tell Deidara-san that-"
"Tell him we will think it over," Itachi interrupted, sighing. "We can discuss it with Sasuke – we will need to speak with him regarding the original picture, anyway."
Why did that fill her with dread? "He'll probably be against it-"
"There is no harm in asking, Sakura-san," he told her. "Sasuke will understand if he sees how much it helps with your confidence." There was yet another pause, followed by, "Remember: a relationship is not about ownership."
She knew that. But… Well, he at least had a say in something like that, right? Sakura frowned and once more began chewing on her bottom lip. "Are you at home tomorrow?"
"In the evening."
"I'll drop by tomorrow and we can talk to him."
Why was she so nervous? She'd been at Sasuke's for over two hours already, sprawled out on the sofa of his gaming room, putting in minimum effort as she battled alongside her boyfriend on a game. From what she could tell: he hadn't seen the picture yet. If he had, he would've mentioned it – it wasn't in his nature to hide whatever angered him. Though, she supposed there was the chance that it hadn't bothered him in the slightest.
The sound of voices had him pausing the battle, his pensive expression telling her to stay quiet. Until that moment, they'd been home alone – Mikoto had trusted them for a while now, often leaving with a smile whenever she had to run errands. She knew them both well enough to know they wouldn't do anything stupid and the trust had always warmed Sakura's heart.
Annoyed that he couldn't hear much, Sasuke tossed the controller onto the sofa beside her and stood from his seat on the floor. He'd been leaning back against the sofa, the back of his head brushing against her hip every so often. Silently, to not attract any attention, she rose to her knees, trying to hear whatever he was hearing.
There was a conversation going on – two men, she noticed – but their voices were muffled. Sasuke's gaming room was on the first floor, right at the top of the stairs (the only reason he was allowed to have it there was because it was the smallest room in the mansion, barely half the size of the ordinary bedrooms) and if she was guessing correctly, then those who were talking, were standing in the entrance.
Sparing a glance at her, Sasuke narrowed his eyes, indicating for her to remain silent and she nodded once. Then, as quietly as he could, he eased the door open, holding it still when it was only a few centimetres open. Being at the top of the stairs was risky, as whoever was in the entrance could simply look up and see them. Whoever was talking, was doing so in hushed tones, making it apparent they didn't want to be heard.
"Father," he mouthed to her, eyebrows knitting together.
Why would Fugaku be creeping around his own home? Who was he talking with? It definitely wasn't a woman, Sakura ruled out. The voice was deep, kind of rough and–
"Madara," came his mutter of disgust. He met her eye, frowning somewhat as he took in her appearance.
They didn't like his great uncle Madara. The guy was an asshole to say the least, always believing that he could never be wrong. She'd only met him a handful of times and every time, he managed to anger or upset her in one way or another. Mikoto disliked him just as greatly, though always greeted him respectfully, holding herself tall as she stood beside Fugaku, remaining silent while they discussed business.
Then, there was a third voice and she found herself whispering in surprise, "Itachi-san?"
Sasuke pressed his finger to his lips, silently telling her to shut up. He leaned closer to opening of the door, face full of concentration. Whenever Madara wanted to speak with Fugaku, the youngest son was always told to make himself scarce. His presence was unnecessary and would only get in their way, Madara often said. To have Itachi involved in the conversation had to be killing her boyfriend, she thought, watching him closely. His shoulders were rigid, features setting into a hard mask of anger. In his eyes, he deserved to be involved – he'd been following his father's orders without question, showing him more respect than Itachi ever had in his entire life. He never disobeyed. Always put his family's responsibilities first. Went against his own beliefs, went out of his comfort zone.
Leaning forward, Sakura pressed her hand to his shoulder, frowning when he met her gaze. It took a few moments, but soon enough, his expression softened and he allowed her to keep her hand there, offering him silent comfort. No matter what he did, Sasuke could never reach Itachi's level and her heart went out for him. His older brother disobeyed not only their father, but Madara, too. Yet he was stood downstairs, involved in whatever the hell they were discussing and it pissed her the hell off. If Sasuke so much as looked at Madara the wrong way, the man lost his shit.
"I can't hear anything," he muttered under his breath, grip on the door handle increasing in strength.
"That is because our conversation does not involve you."
She winced when the door was pushed open, forcing Sasuke to step back, though much to her surprise, he didn't back down, remaining stood in the doorway even when Madara towered over him, his expression unreadable.
Like he always did, Madara looked down on her, his condescending gaze filling her with anger and an immense feeling of incompetence. Being in his presence never failed to send shivers down her spine. The man was much older than them, though only twenty years or so older than his nephew, Fugaku. He didn't look his age, she'd always thought, his long hair healthy and still full of its original colour.
"Madara," Sasuke greeted him as respectfully as he could. He'd told her that, when he was younger, he'd addressed him as his uncle, to which the man snapped that he hated the sentimental honorific.
The man grunted, dark eyes taking in the sight of the room before filling with disgust. "This is how you spend your time? Playing computer games and lounging around with this girl?"
Sasuke's jaw clenched, much like the fists behind his back. "With Itachi back, there's not much for me to do."
"How foolish," he muttered in response, gaze narrowing. "This is why Itachi is favoured – he has initiative. Instead of lazing around and waiting for orders, your older brother finds a way to make use of his time."
His fists tightened and Sakura bit her lip worriedly. His arms were tensing, shoulders going rigid. If he wasn't careful, Madara would notice it, if he hadn't already. At that moment, he was too busy meeting her eye, unconcerned with the fact she could clearly see the disgust he felt towards her. To him, she was no better than a sewer rat and it was because she was in a lower class than him. He never let her forget it.
"No greeting?" he questioned her suddenly and out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Sasuke refraining from glancing in her direction, his muscles tensing even further.
"I'm sorry," she said to avoid making the situation worse. Standing from the sofa, she lowered her head respectfully, saying, "It's nice to see you again, Madara-san."
The sickly sweet smile she gave to him when straightening up had his upper lip curling. Even though it'd been a few years since first meeting him, Sakura was still affected by the looks he gave her. How could he make someone feel so inadequate? So repulsive? And at the time of first meeting him, she'd been a kid. Yet he still made it clear she disgusted him.
"You-"
"Madara," came a new voice and in response to hearing him, Madara took a half step back, meeting Itachi's cold gaze without batting an eyelash. "While it seems you are enjoying yourself tormenting my younger brother and his girlfriend, Father would like to discuss a recent business proposal."
Once again, Madara grunted, though paused in his leaving, settling Sasuke with another glower. "You could learn a thing or two from your brother," he muttered with disdain, eyebrow raising at the tick of Sasuke's. "Though perhaps it is too late for you to grow a backbone."
"Madara," there was a warning to the way Itachi said his name and when Madara turned, she noticed the way he didn't falter in meeting his gaze. Not one muscle twitched as he stared the older man down. Unlike when he left for university, Itachi was now the same height as his great uncle. Despite that, he somehow managed to make it appear as though he was the taller of the two, just barely keeping his gaze from becoming condescending.
Sakura breathed out a heavy sigh and all but collapsed onto the sofa when he disappeared from view, offering Itachi a small, grateful smile. He entered the room without pause, shutting the door behind himself.
"You will have to excuse our uncle, Sakura-san," he told her, also sighing. The cold exterior had been dropped completely and he nodded once to his brother, who sat beside her. "He is stuck in the past."
"I know," she groaned and rolled her eyes. Looking at her boyfriend, she frowned, but knew better than to ask if he was okay. He would be annoyed with her for drawing attention to his hurt. "I wish I could say that I'm used to it by now, but…"
"There is no getting used to Madara," was all he responded with.
There was a moment of pause, one where their gazes trailed to the screen of the paused game and Sakura wondered if Itachi was struggling to find the words to start the conversation, too. She certainly couldn't find a way to start it. Mentioning the picture and the opportunity to model for someone, when Sasuke was already in a bad mood thanks to his asshole uncle, seemed like a bad idea. However, she knew it had to happen. Putting it off was an even worse idea.
She hesitated in reaching for her phone, eyes meeting Itachi's questioningly, hopelessly. In the past day, the picture had tripled in its popularity – it wasn't the only one, but it was the one that caught her attention the most. Another picture of Konan had also raked in the likes and comments effortlessly, but she'd starred in many of Deidara's pictures over the past years, Sakura had noticed after stalking through his profile.
Sakura jumped and cursed when the phone suddenly began ringing, her ringtone obnoxiously loud, evoking an eye roll from her boyfriend and a flicker of surprise from his brother. It was the loudest one she could find with the added bonus of being her favourite song at the time… a year ago. She'd repeatedly brushed it off whenever somebody told her it was time to change it, saying she'd get round to it at some point. Was she wrong to not make it a number one priority?
"Now I'm turning to dust in a world that's twisted. Don't come searching when I go missing. Close your eyes or just try to look–"
Trying to silence it became a battle and Sakura felt her cheeks grow red. "Sorry," came her embarrassed mumble. As soon as she saw the name on her screen, however, the embarrassment faded and she met Itachi's eyes, saying, "It's Deidara-san."
"Why's Deidara calling you?" demanded Sasuke. He had every right to be suspicious, glaring down at the phone like it had insulted him and his ancestors.
She declined the call, offering the blond a silent apology. Their conversation with Sasuke was more important, especially since she already knew what he wanted to discuss: the photo shoot. He was meeting with the woman and was going to arrange the shoot for them.
"Before I explain that, we need to tell you something."
"We? Who-" Dark eyes narrowed in confusion and he looked between them, demanding, "What?"
Much to her gratefulness (since he was definitely the more articulate of them both), Itachi was the one who replied, saying, "Deidara-san captured many pictures over the weekend. One picture happens to be of myself and Sakura-san while we were sunbathing."
Anger had his eyes going wide and he snarled, "Why the hell was he taking pictures of you in a bikini? I'll-"
She grabbed his hand, willing him to calm down. "He was taking pictures of everyone, Sasuke-kun. All weekend. There's some of you, some of Naruto – all of us. It's not like he targeted me solely."
"But, still. You were only wearing-"
"I'm not upset," she assured him and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "You don't have to be, either."
It was only after watching him for several moments that Itachi next spoke up, telling him, "However, due to the way we were dressed, the picture holds a certain…"
He was lost for words? Sakura grimaced, also struggling. "It doesn't look good."
"Why?"
She sighed. "It's probably best to just show it to you. I can't explain why it doesn't look good, but if I tried, I'd say it might be because we're in swimming costumes."
Nodding, he accepted the phone that was handed to him, immediately going to her camera album to view the last saved picture. She found herself holding her breath as it filled the screen, green eyes glued to Sasuke's features as she tried to read what he truly felt about the picture, but he showed her nothing. He remained calm, composed.
And then, "What's wrong with it? You're talking to each other." He looked back to the screen, having glanced up at her. "If there was something to be concerned about, I would've said something – I joined you not long after this was taken."
Sakura found herself falling back against the sofa, laughing at how absurd she'd been. Going off what she knew about her boyfriend and how possessive he could be, she'd been so damn sure that he would blow up after seeing the picture. It looked shady as hell, to her. It would've to Sasuke, too, had the guy not been his older brother. He wasn't concerned about it because he trusted them. He knew they would never hurt him. The realisation had her breathing out a shaky sigh of relief, smiling.
"Now I'm turning to dust in a world that's twisted. Don't come searching when I go missing–"
"Deidara. Again." Sasuke turned his gaze on her, his hold on the phone unyielding as it continued to ring.
"Close your eyes or just try to look away. Don't want to hurt you!"
"That's something else we have to talk about," Sakura told him. She eyed the vibrating phone, trying to tune out her ringtone. However, it was chosen for a reason (other than it being an amazing cover of a song she loved). It was loud, demanding. It had her attention as soon as the music started.
"We live in a world someone else imagined. The ghost of what's left of me all but vanished."
She held out her hand but when it wasn't handed over, Itachi told him, "Decline the call if you have no intention of answering it, Sasuke."
"Remember my heart, how bright I used to shine–"
Finally, the call ended, though it wasn't because of Sasuke declining the call.
"Why is Deidara calling you?"
So the picture of her and Itachi lounging around (with hardly any space between them) half naked didn't bother him, but somebody calling her did? "That's what I'm trying to talk to you about."
"Then spit it out already-"
"Do not raise your voice at her, Sasuke," came Itachi's warning, his expression just as cold. "Sakura-san is trying to tell you that she has been given an opportunity, one that could open more doors for her."
When her boyfriend looked back to her, waiting for her to explain herself, she found herself struggling to find the words, like her throat was being squeezed tight, choking the life out of her. She tried to talk over whatever was suddenly strangling her, mouth opening, but nothing happened. No words would come. The sight of her anxiety had Itachi momentarily glaring at his brother, but Sasuke didn't see it, his eyes focusing entirely on her.
"We have been asked to participate in the building of Deidara's friend's portfolio." When Sasuke looked to him questioningly, asking him to expand on what that meant, Itachi added, "I don't have all the details as of yet, but-"
"Wait, we?" Sasuke suddenly repeated, cutting his brother off. He focused on the phone again, opening the picture. "So, someone saw this picture and decided they wanted you both in-" His sentence ended abruptly, expression almost a grimace. "They want you to model for them?"
"Essentially."
"How does that work?" he questioned. "You're just talking – it's not like you posed for it."
"You would have to ask her that question yourself."
"Now I'm turning to dust in a world that's twisted–"
Sasuke declined the call, muttering about how she needed to change her ringtone. Put it on silent if it's bothering you, she thought grumpily. She'd been so excited about the potential photo shoot, her confidence gaining a bigger boost than it ever had before. Now, she was questioning whether she could truly go through with something like that. What if the woman met them and realised she wasn't all that good looking? What if it was merely the angle of the picture? Or was there a filter on it? What if–
"What kind of modelling would it be?" came his quiet question as he once more assessed the picture. "Does she want you half naked? Why does she want you both? Does she think…?"
"We're not sure," answered Itachi and she could feel his gaze on her, probably wondering why the hell she couldn't speak. Honestly, Sakura wished she knew the answer to that question. "Sakura-san thought it best to inform you before we so much as entertained the thought of accepting."
They were both watching her now, waiting for her to explain herself, but she couldn't. Gods, what had she been thinking? Modelling? Like she was really cut out for that. Models were supposed to be elegant with legs that stretched for miles. They were supposed to have perfectly shaped eyebrows and high cheekbones and flat stomach and–
"Now I'm turning to dust in a world that's twisted. Don't come searching–"
"They'll do it."
Finally, she found the ability to meet Sasuke's eye, her mouth parting in surprise when she found him holding her phone to his ear.
"It doesn't matter why I answered," he replied arrogantly after a short pause. Another pause, then he asked her, "Can you speak to the photographer now?"
Her mouth opened and she found herself forcing out over the lump in her throat, "Y-Yeah."
It took more strength than it should have to accept the phone from Sasuke, her eyes meeting Itachi's briefly before dropping. Instead of pressing it to her ear, she pressed the loudspeaker option, willing herself to breathe. It was just a phone call. It was just her friend.
"Deidara-san?" she called, holding the phone in the air. There was muffled noises in the background, followed by what sounded like him telling someone to calm down. "You're on speakerphone – Sasuke-kun and Itachi-san are here."
"I've been trying to get hold of you for the past fifteen minutes," he muttered and Sakura felt her cheeks colour at the annoyance in his tone. Gods, why was she sweating? Why was she nervous? "Do you know how annoying Kurotsuchi can be, yeah?"
No, she didn't. She didn't know anything about her other than the fact they were the same gender. "I'm sorry," she told him earnestly, fidgeting with her phone while speaking. "I wanted to explain to – it doesn't matter. I'm sorry."
"It's fine," sighed Deidara, more than likely sensing her distress. "Just know that it's me who has to deal with her, yeah."
"Oi-"
"I'm going to hand the phone over to her," he told her suddenly and there was the sound of scuffling in the background. "Oi, just hurry up and take it, yeah-"
"Hello?" spoke the woman, sounding breathless. Had they been fighting over it? "Hi, my name's Kurotsuchi – I'm the one who flooded the comments of your picture."
Damn it, she couldn't fight through her nerves, especially not with Sasuke watching her so closely. "I'm Sakura," she greeted. It felt odd introducing herself so offhandedly, but she thought copying Kurotsuchi's example would be better. Deciding to just jump straight to it to try and shove aside her shyness, she told her, "Both Itachi-san and I have decided we'd like to be involved with your portfolio."
"That's great," Kurotsuchi exclaimed and Sakura found herself relaxing somewhat, smiling. "While the pay won't be anything that can support you, I can afford to give you a small payment for your time and hard work."
That was a hell of a lot more than she'd originally thought they'd be getting and Sakura could tell Itachi hadn't been expecting any payment, either. They weren't experienced in modelling – either of them. But with it being a paid job… Sakura knew without even thinking about it that it was going on her resume. It had nothing to do with her future profession, but still. It was nice to throw things up on her resume, right? Retail sales assistant. Part-time model. Full time doctor.
"Oh! And you get to keep the outfits, too. Since they're tailored to your size-"
Oh, she was one hundred percent in. There was nothing more to consider. And Sasuke knew exactly what she was thinking, as he rolled his eyes, head shaking faintly.
Seemingly noticing this, Itachi spoke up, telling the woman, "We have two conditions and they are not up for debate."
"Sure," Kurotsuchi said excitedly, clearly ready to agree to anything. "Name them."
"They have to be tasteful," said Sakura after calming herself down. "No nudity or objectifying."
"No, definitely not," she exclaimed and for a moment, Sakura felt bad, as she sounded almost offended. "I have so many ideas, Sakura-san and let me assure you, none of them involve anything that could be deemed as overly sexual-"
"Overly sexual?" questioned Sasuke and she saw a muscle in his jaw clench. "What does that mean?"
When she spoke next, the woman sounded unsure, somewhat distracted and Sakura wondered if she was questioning Deidara what was happening or what Sasuke's involvement was. "Uh… Well, you see… Itachi-san and Sakura-san's interactions in Deidara-nii's photographs were simple – no, not simple. Uh. They were… relaxed and easy. I'm sorry, does that even make any sense?"
There was a sigh, followed by Deidara saying in the background, "What she means is that you have a connection that she wants to capture and take advantage of, yeah."
"What connection?"
She eyed her boyfriend warily. "Maybe this isn't such a good idea, then. I-"
"No," Sasuke cut her off, frowning in her direction. "If it's something you want to try, do it. I'd rather you try it with Itachi than someone I can't trust." She smiled at that and shuffled closer, taking his hand in hers. "What will the photo shoot involve?"
"Like I said, I have loads of ideas," she repeated. "But since my main focus is being a wedding photographer, I want the majority of the portfolio to be about that."
They had to pretend…? Shaking her head, Sakura bit her lip, trying to smother the excitement building within her. A wedding photo shoot meant she would get to dress up – keeping the clothes afterwards. She would have her makeup and hair done and… Gods, it was going to look amazing. She would look amazing. She wasn't sure what the hell she'd do with a freaking wedding dress afterwards, but who cared?
"To try and appeal to all different kinds of people, I need to get different kinds of settings. I want gothic. Passionate. Vintage. Simple. Fairy tale," she gushed and Sakura wondered if the woman was smiling as brightly as she wanted to. "But, of course, I want to make myself available for all kinds of jobs. Itachi-san and Sakura-san are two of many people helping with my portfolio, so if there's anything you're not comfortable with, we can discuss it and I can ask one of the others to do it."
That seemed to ease Sasuke's discomfort somewhat, though Sakura had to admit her mind was more on the pretty dresses she was going to be wearing. "When do you need us?" she asked.
"Deidara-nii tells me you're both busy people," said Kurotsuchi thoughtfully. "And I appreciate you both have jobs. So, we can either decide on a couple of weekends in the next month or two and dedicate the entire time on getting this done – that's different locations, quite a few outfit, makeup and hair changes. Or," she continued, seeming more fond of the first idea as she told them, "We can arrange to meet on your mutual days off, though I have to admit: that does mean it drags the process out."
Wow. She hadn't thought there would be that much work. She understood that Kurotsuchi had plenty of ideas and inspirations, but… Well, it was her summer. The last summer before she possibly moved away for university. It was already a struggle making plans with her friends due to her hours being increased at the clothing store, what would happen if she dedicated entire weekends to the photo shoots?
"We will have to discuss which is best for us both," Itachi explained and he offered Sakura a faint smile when she looked to him unsurely. Did he understand the struggle of trying to balance everything?
She looked to her boyfriend, unable to ignore the pang in her chest at the way he looked away from them both, staring off to the side. Going away for weekends at a time, with another man (it didn't matter that Itachi was his brother, it was still weird) and taking part in wedding photo shoots was bound to make him feel insecure. If it was the other way around, her insecurities would overwhelm her. They would make it impossible to even go about her day without constantly questioning what was happening. They'd spent more or less every day of the past five years together. His parents, without even asking him sometimes, invited her on their family vacations, with Mikoto stating that they would hate to keep them separated for weeks, possibly even a month.
"That's fine," Kurotsuchi replied easily. "I'll have Deidara-nii set up a meeting in person and we can go into further detail about my vision – you can see the settings I've chosen, the themes and outfits. Things like that."
"Thank you," he said.
"Thank you," Sakura quickly spoke up.
"No, thank you," came her cheery response. "Bye!"
Without waiting for their response, the line went dead and she found herself sighing, leaning back into the sofa. There was so much they had to consider – the list of cons just as great as the pros. Impulsively, she wanted to say yes, yes, yes. But she had to take the others into account, too. What was a great deal for her, could be the absolute worst for Itachi and what was great for them both, could be a nightmare for her boyfriend. The decision didn't only affect her.
Her gaze met her boyfriend's and Sakura felt her heart sink at the expression on his face. He seemed almost lost for that split second, like he was unsure of himself and their situation. While being so upset by what could potentially be an amazing opportunity seemed dramatic, she understood why he felt that way – like she'd said, if it'd been the other way, she'd have issues with it, too. Brother or not, she was going away for weekends at a time with him, taking part in photo shoots pretending to be getting married. It was bound to rub him the wrong way.
"It'll be good for you in the long run," Sasuke said suddenly. Despite the resolution behind his words, however, she could see in his eyes that he was torn. He wanted the best for her, but it hurt him. "We need to get used to the separation, anyway."
Did they? She hadn't made her mind up yet. Studying in her hometown had so many advantages – the main one being security. If something happened, she had her family and friends. She had people she knew she could rely on.
"Think it over carefully, Sakura-san," Itachi ordered, voice quiet. He didn't seem overly concerned or opposed to the photo shoots, but at the same time, he didn't seem that fond of the idea, either. Or did he? She couldn't tell and it irked her, especially considering she'd assumed just the other day that he was easy to read. "We don't have to make a decision overnight."
He had a point, she supposed. Again, she sighed. Previously, she'd thought it would be nothing more than a day of having someone taking pictures of her. But the project was so much bigger than that and it had her wondering if she was up to the task. Her job, for starters, couldn't exactly be put on hold and she could hardly call in sick on random weekends. She had alternate weekends off, but what about her friends or Sasuke–
Wait, she had already graduated from school. Hope flared in her chest. Would it be possible?
Making his way to the door, Itachi paused, telling them, "Madara shouldn't be here for much longer, though I would recommend staying out of his way." She nodded her understanding, hoping she wouldn't have another run in with the old fart. He was a horrible person. "Inform me when you are ready to talk, Sakura-san."
Once he shut the door behind himself, Sasuke asked, "Are you staying tonight?"
She frowned at her boyfriend. "Are you sure your dad is okay with that?"
Mikoto didn't mind if she stayed over every now and then, even going as far as to fill the spare bedroom with brand new necessities (in case it was decided last minute that she would sleep over, meaning no clean clothes or pyjamas, etc). On the other hand, there was Fugaku, who was grumpy as hell at the best of times and with Madara's visit… While he usually tolerated her presence, she wasn't sure it was the best time. He would be stressed to say the least.
"Stay," he pushed. "I…" Momentarily, he struggled to speak, his cheeks growing red even in the dim lighting. "I enjoyed our time at the hotel."
Sakura smiled at that, recalling the memories fondly. They'd stayed up most of the night, talking about everything and nothing, getting everything off their chests. Making out with her boyfriend had been great, too. But she knew that, in his home, it wouldn't be the same. Despite joining them on family vacations and often staying over, it was always in separate bedrooms and half the time, when they were alone together in an upstairs room, they had to leave the door open. The only reason they didn't have to in the gaming room was because of how loud the television or their competitiveness could get.
But seeing the silent plea in his eyes, seeing his heart on his sleeve, Sakura found herself caving anyway, nodding her agreement.
A/N - Soooo guess who graduated university with a 2:1? The past two weeks have been painful. I'm back at work, I graduated and I've had my two nephews. Oh, and I'm officially wearing maternity clothes at 15 weeks as my bump seems to have just popped out of nowhere. Thank you to everyone who responded to my early gender reveal scan question, but now I have another (and will probably have hundreds more). Do you get to hear the heartbeat at the 16 week appointment? The appointment is on my birthday and I honestly can't think of a better gift, but I don't want to get my hopes up.
Reviews:
Guest: It is, but I know people have it harder, so I'm trying not to complain too much. Compared to other women, I seem to have mild hyperemesis. The nurse who took care of me in the hospital told me she continuously fainted whenever she was stood up for long periods of time and ended up having to stay in hospital at least one week every month. And don't get me wrong, it is a hassle, but it's so worth it. Before I got to see my baby moving during the scan and now with my bump, I kept asking myself is it really worth it? Getting so sick that you're hospitalised, the aches and pains and whatever else comes along with it. It really takes a toll and didn't help with my depression at all. You just have to remember you and the baby are a team. You're not the only one who's sick.
Yeah, we had the early screening for potential illnesses/diseases and came back at a very low risk for everything. We've decided we're not going to bother with the early gender reveal, although my SO wanted to surprise me with one for my birthday (since we're exactly 16 weeks then). But it'll only be a handful of weeks until the 20 week scan, so we're going to wait.
Thank you so much! I always try to show how we only really see a couple of sides to a person and can never really understand them or what they're thinking.
WhisperingPen: I used to feel the exact same! Not to mention how OOC my favourite characters usually are in AUs. It's pretty hard to find a really good AU, with good character development and a progressive plot.
mbravesgirl7: He definitely does! And I hope this chapter showed at least a glimpse into why he has that soft spot for her.
TheBloodyLoveOfSakuraHaruno: Think of the drama it would cause! And no, he's not Van Gogh famous, but he's kind of internet famous, if that makes any sense? He has an audience, though not known world wide. Simply put: they'll know if he releases the sketch.
loveitasakuxx: That's one of the worst thing about those kinds of relationships: we can see how horrible it can be/is, but the person in the relationship doesn't see how bad it's getting.
And it's an awful feeling, isn't it? You start to feel confident with yourself, feel pretty or whatever, and then BAM it's gone. I remember a time when I was about 19. I went to visit my dad and aunt and like I used to as a kid, I stayed at her place that weekend. Keeping in mind, this was during one of the worst times of my life, when my depression was at its worst. I was impressed with myself for actually managing the nearly two hours of travelling to get to her place by myself, on top of getting a new job. It'd been months since I left the house and suddenly I was doing all these things for myself, by myself and I felt really proud. But anyway, because of it being months since I left the house, my skin really suffered (I've always been a sufferer of acne, but it really flared up due to not taking care of myself) and as soon as I took my makeup off to go to bed at my aunt's, she spent the following three - THREE - hours tutting and huffing, saying things like "Bloody hell, it's so bad." or "Have you tried this?" It seriously knocked me back and I ended up crying myself to sleep, waking up before everyone else and more or less painting my face in makeup. That routine lasted for at least a year and even at home, I couldn't let anyone see me without my makeup. Her reaction to my acne and her constant bringing it up all weekend, even going as far as to tell my younger cousins about the horrors of bad skin if they didn't take care of themselves, using me as an example, seriously affected me.
Anyways, long story short: people don't realise how much harm their words can actually cause. Even now, due to the scarring of the acne and the odd flare up, I can't leave the house without makeup. And I can never believe my SO when he tells me I'm beautiful without makeup.
Carlouie: That makes two of us! And exactly. The amount of times my SO has gone out, bought all the ingredients to a meal I said I was dying for, only for it all to be wasted when I couldn't even stomach the smell of it being cooked, is ridiculous. I miss my food! Omg and just a couple of hours ago, I was driving past a Subway and the smell was really nice, so I was like okay, I'm gonna risk it. I was fine in the store and everything and I thought that meant I was going to be okay with the food. But then I got home, ate a few bites of it and was then stuck to my sick bucket for the following hours. Even now, I'm having to take breaks in editing and replying. And it's not even sick! It's just retching until my body eventually finds something to bring up.
And thank you to Bsmile123, Yami no Emi, Sakuharu1, ThePurplePyroHedgie, Guest and I'm in here for your reviews!