Chapter 13 – Imagine Me And You, I Do
"Everyone take a break," Kurotsuchi said with a sigh, rubbing her temple. "Oi, you two," she spoke to them directly. "You better sort whatever the hell is suddenly up with you."
Perhaps it was childish of her to do so, but Sakura couldn't help but look anywhere but Itachi, heart leaping straight into her throat when he tugged on her arm, guiding her to the changing room where they would have some privacy.
They really did need to talk about whatever the hell that had been, however, she felt wary. What if she dug too deep and didn't like the answers she found within herself? What if the whole situation with Itachi's parents, and envisioning that to be her future, pushed her into doing something so… so destructive to her relationship with Sasuke?
Even now, annoyingly, being in the same room as Itachi, with the door closed and knowing nobody would come and bother them, made her heartbeat quicken with nervousness. In response, she stepped further away, even going as far as to turn her back on the Uchiha, willing away the traitorous feelings that caused her hands to shake with a mixture of rage and fear and heartbreak.
"Sakura-san, look at me."
She shook her head stubbornly.
What they'd – no, what she had done was unforgivable. Even thinking about kissing someone else, let alone his freaking brother, was messed up.
"Please."
It was the quiet plea that had her reluctantly turning, doing her best to remove the helplessness from her expression so that she would be colder to him, but she couldn't. It simply wasn't in her nature to shut someone out so suddenly, especially not when they'd become good friends like they had.
And there was something so heartbreakingly beautiful about Itachi as he stood there in his tuxedo, begging of her to look at him.
"What the hell are we doing, Itachi-san?" she demanded quietly, biting her lip for a moment to try and stop it from trembling. "We left Sasuke-kun behind to deal with your parents in that shitty situation, to go away for the weekend together to pose for a fake wedding and n-now there's… there's this!"
"We didn't-"
"Kiss? Really? That's your argument?" Reaching down, she lifted her dress high enough to take her heels off, thankful for the break it gave her aching feet. What she wanted was to throw the shoes altogether to vent her frustration somehow, but she refrained from doing so, instead breathing deeply through her nose, reminding herself she had to be rational. "It doesn't matter whether or not it actually happened, Itachi-san," she snapped. "What matters is that we – or I, at least, wanted it."
His lips parted, but whether it was out of shock at her confession, or because he wanted to say something, she wasn't sure. She didn't wait to find out.
"In that moment, out there at our fake wedding, I wanted to kiss you," she admitted brokenly and sat down before she started pacing. She had to try and keep herself calm, lest she wished to endure the wrath of the makeup artist for ruining her hard work. "I wanted to kiss you so bad."
"We were in the heat of the moment, Sakura-san," he rationalised. Sighing, Itachi walked over to the makeshift dressing table so that he was closer to her, leaning back against it. "I will admit that yes, I wanted to kiss you, too. But it was nothing more than the heat of the moment."
Why the hell did that make her feel just as disappointed as it did relieved? Gods, her emotions were making zero sense to her.
"Tell me," came his thoughtful murmur and she could feel him watching her closely. "Until today, until that moment specifically, did you want to kiss me?"
"Well, no, but-"
"There are no 'buts' about it, Sakura-san," Itachi reassured her with a smile. "Outside of that moment, we hold no feelings for one another."
There was no stopping her head from falling into her hands and sure, maybe she did let the tears fill her eyes despite her fear of the makeup artist. What else could she do? Bottle everything up? Let the emotions become too much for her to handle? No, it wasn't healthy. Crying every once in a while was healthy. Allowing herself a moment to digest, to feel utter horror towards herself, to cry because of the potential damage she could have caused to not only her relationship, but their brotherly bond, was okay. Her chest hurt so bad, the weight of their almost kiss threatening to overwhelm her. What would she have been like had she actually kissed Itachi? Gods, she didn't want to know. She just–
"Oh, Gods," she sobbed tearlessly into her hands.
"We were acting out a wedding, Sakura-san," added Itachi more quietly and she heard him move. When she opened her eyes, she saw him kneeling before her, his brows coming together softly. "It was easy to lose ourselves."
Was it? How was it easy to lose themselves? No matter how she looked at the situation, her guilt only continued to grow rapidly. Sasuke was trying so goddamn hard to work on their relationship, to right his wrongs, and she was throwing it all away like it didn't matter.
He sighed, frown remaining in place. "Nothing I say will alleviate you of your guilt, will it?"
Good, he was getting to know her. "No."
There was a pause in his response, one where he watched her thoughtfully for several moments before asking her, "What would you like to do, then?"
More than anything, she wanted to see into Uchiha Itachi's mind, because she couldn't understand how the hell he was remaining so calm about everything. They'd almost kissed. He admitted to wanting to kiss her and she just couldn't understand why. Why was he so calm? Why was he so easily brushing it off? Why couldn't he understand why it was cutting her so deeply? Why couldn't he see how massive it actually was, and how badly Sasuke would be hurt, should he find out?
"Go back in time," she said, unable to deny the whine to her voice.
Sadly, he smiled at her. "I'm capable of many things, Sakura-san. Sadly, time travel is not one of them." When her features crumbled, head finding its way to her hands once more, he said, "We must continue the photo shoot regardless of how we're feeling. However, should you still feel this way tonight, we can talk about it more."
Talking through her problems was such a foreign concept to her, Sakura suddenly noticed when she'd been ready to shut the idea down. She was used to Sasuke immediately shutting them down, refusing to talk. It was only recently that he said he would try more. "You mean it?" she asked weakly, peeking up at him.
Itachi nodded once. "For now, however, we must remain professional and complete the photo shoot. Do you agree?"
Gods, he was right. They couldn't let Kurotsuchi down, not when they'd started out so well. They couldn't let her regret her decision in choosing them, either.
Standing suddenly and surprising Itachi, Sakura brushed her hands down her dress, taking a deep breath. "Okay-"
Knocking interrupted her sentence and it had Itachi frowning for a second before approaching the door, opening it without warning or a greeting.
"Haruno-san has a guest."
What?
Walking over the door as it was held further open for her, she ducked under Itachi's arm and eyed the messenger warily, only briefly taking notice of the fact it was the same girl from earlier – the one who'd told her Kurotsuchi was waiting to start the photo shoot.
"Who?" she questioned, frowning.
"Uh." There was a pause and she pressed the earpiece, communicating to whoever was on the other line. Then, she said with a quick smile, "Your boyfriend, Haruno-san."
Sasuke?
He'd come to visit her?
Without a second thought or backwards glance, she was shoving her shoes back on and rushing out of the room, heading in the direction of the entrance, unable to silence the pounding of her heart as it sped up at just the thought of seeing Sasuke. It was the way her heart reacted that always sent her back in time, making Sakura feel as though it was their first date all over again. Accompanied with the nervous flutter of her stomach…
She bit back a grin.
"Sakura-san, wait."
The grin faltered and she came to a stop, slowly turning to face the older Uchiha. It seemed he'd been following her, though she'd been so caught up in her imminent reunion with Sasuke that she hadn't taken much notice.
There was no specific expression on his face and part of her felt as though that was worse than seeing anything negative towards her. "What are you going to tell him?"
She hadn't even thought of that. Taking a half step back, Sakura stared at the lobby of the cabin. At that moment in time, the door was ajar, teasing her with the thought of Sasuke being so close. All she had to do was push it open a little further and…
And what? Act like nothing had happened between her and Itachi? Tell him the truth, about how she almost kissed his brother willingly?
It took her too long to realise Itachi wasn't as calm as he'd previously appeared. He stood before her, taking a few steps closer, a frown slowly bringing his brows together. He'd thought they'd have the entire weekend to sort out their issues, hadn't he? Sakura bit her lip, meeting his gaze warily.
They still could, couldn't they?
"I could…" She looked at the distance between them, wondering when and how she'd grown so comfortable with being so close to Itachi. There was barely a step left between them. Had she wanted it, she could've reached out and touched him without having to fully extend her arm. Lowering her voice just in case, she murmured, "I mean, for now, we could keep it quiet." It felt like her skin was crawling as she said the words. "We can talk about it when he's gone – I know Sasuke-kun. He'll think spending an entire weekend watching us pose for pictures is a waste of his time."
After a moment, Itachi nodded, agreeing to her words. "We will talk about this, Sakura-san."
Ah, so he was unnerved by it all. He'd merely been keeping up a front to try and help her through the rest of their photo shoot. When had he been planning on dumping it all on her, then? That night? Tomorrow? When they were going home? When she dropped him off at his house? No matter when he chose to do it, it would've kicked everything back up for her. All the anxiety and stress and heartbreak. Just when Sakura would've managed to calm it all down, he would've kickstarted it once more.
"Yeah," she agreed, trying to shove it all down for the time being. "We will."
But for now, her boyfriend was waiting for her.
Whether it was the heat of the moment or not, her heart told her instantly upon hearing Sasuke's name that it would always be him. Nothing and no one else could compare to him, could they? Just her never ageing excitement of seeing him should have told her that.
The door was thrown open when she reached it, her heart stuttering at the sight of her boyfriend standing at the bottom of the porch stairs. He'd been staring over at one of the sets when she saw him, but once he realised she was there, their eyes met and he smirked.
"Sasuke-kun," she said in happy surprise, ignoring Naruto's whining about being dismissed as she dashed forward to greet her boyfriend with an embrace, grinning when he returned the greeting, his hand resting on her hip. "What are you doing here?"
"I needed to see you," came his quiet confession, too low for anyone else to hear.
"Uh, Sakura-chan?" Refusing to let go of him, because damn the day she'd been having was stressful as hell and she needed the comfort, she looked over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow at Naruto. "Why're you wearing that?"
Oh, no.
Naruto didn't know about the photo shoot.
Her mouth opened, about to explain what was happening, but that was when Itachi decided it was time to leave the cabin, standing at the top of the stairs with that demanding presence of his. It made her want to throw something at him, because she knew it would take a hell of a long time to explain to Naruto what was going on.
And, as she'd predicted, his blue eyes widened dramatically, mouth falling open. He looked between them both, head snapping to the left and right, hand raising and pointing accusingly at them until he finally focused on Sasuke, demanding, "What the hell? You're okay with this?"
"Do not make a scene, Naruto-kun," warned Itachi and he walked down the steps, joining them. He briefly glanced in the direction of Kurotsuchi's lackeys, watching as they nosily glanced at them when they were supposed to be preparing the next set. When they met his gaze, they quickly looked away. "Tell Sakura-san what you think of her appearance and let it go."
He chuckled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "I thought I'd save the honour for Sasuke," he admitted, though sent his friend a glare when nothing was said. When it became increasingly obvious nothing would be said, he took Sakura from him like she was nothing but a toy, forcing her to stand in front of him to show him the whole dress, all the while she shoved aside the hurt she was feeling at Sasuke's silence. It shouldn't have surprised her, his refusal to say anything. "You look amazing, Sakura-chan."
Green eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why am I sensing a 'but' at the end of that sentence?"
Ignoring the warning looks sent his way, he told her, "It just… It doesn't feel like you, y'know?"
…He knew?
Her sudden pout had him reacting quickly, eyes going wide as he told her, "You're still breath-taking, Sakura-chan! I just thought you'd always be one who-"
"Idiot," she said fondly and yanked him to her.
It warmed her heart that Naruto knew the wedding dress she was wearing, wasn't one she'd wear at her own wedding. While he knew she'd admire the design and love it no doubt, he still knew it wasn't her.
"W-What did I say?"
"Come on," Sakura said, ignoring his question as she pulled away, linking her arm through his and dragging him in the direction of the photo shoot. "We still have loads to do, but you guys can watch, if you want?"
There was an impish grin that she tried to ignore, but there was no ignoring his question of, "Are you gonna be posing in a bikini at any point?"
The only reason why she didn't punch him was because of her pristine, white dress.
They were going for more serious, posing shots now.
It was probably due to the tension in the air, or probably because her boyfriend was now watching the photo shoot, his eyes never leaving them for a second as they posed as husband and wife, that she felt increasingly uncomfortable.
She wondered what Sasuke thought of it all. Did it make him feel jealous at all, seeing her pretending to marry another? Wearing a wedding ring that he didn't put on her finger? It was hard guessing. He showed no emotion, seeming unaffected by the vision Kurotsuchi was painting.
"He doesn't care," she murmured as they followed Kurotsuchi's directions. Waiting until Itachi was laying on his back on the wooden pier at the pond near the cabin, she eased herself down, taking a deep breath as she laid back. Their heads were side by side and she turned hers slightly, looking at Itachi's peaceful expression. The camera was above them, attached to a drone that Kurotsuchi was controlling. "Does he?"
"Stop looking so bored of each other," Kurotsuchi snapped.
Swallowing when Itachi's hand came to the back of her head, she copied his example, allowing a small smile to play on her lips.
She felt his sigh more than heard it. "I believe Sasuke is attempting to remain impassive."
There was an angered groan, the drone disappearing and being switched for her ordinary handheld camera. "Try another pose – this is all wrong."
They stood – her with some difficulty, needing Itachi to help her – and waited for their next instruction, soon coming to stand together, in each other's arms.
It felt so robotic to her. Earlier, there'd been emotion behind their posing, helping it all seem genuine. Now, she felt way too much pressure. Could Itachi feel the pressure, too?
"Damn it, where's the chemistry?"
There was no chemistry, she wanted to snap back at the photographer. How in the hell was she supposed to have chemistry with her boyfriend's older brother? It wasn't right.
"I may have an idea," Itachi began and gently pulled away from her, facing the irritated older woman. "Would it be possible to use a previous idea of yours?"
Lowering the camera so that it was now hanging around her neck, Kurotsuchi approached them, folding her arms over her chest. "I'm willing to do anything at this point to bring back the chemistry." Lowering her voice considerably, she then added, "I'll kick your brother out, if needs be. If you both feel too uncomfortable-"
"That will not be necessary," he assured her. "Although, I do have an idea to try and ease our nerves. Do you have a pen and paper?"
Our.
He wasn't throwing her to the wolves, even though it was her fault.
She smiled slightly.
"Play this band's music," he instructed and began writing. "These songs, specifically."
Faintly, Kurotsuchi's eyes narrowed. "What are you planning?"
"Trust me," he told her with a smile and Sakura looked away when the woman blushed at his attention. "I will not let you down, Kurotsuchi-san."
It took several minutes for one of her lackeys to set the new music up to the speaker system, as they'd been playing the same couple of CDs on a loop rather than using the internet or a radio. But once the music started playing, Sakura knew exactly what Itachi had in mind and her eyes immediately sought out Sasuke's, only to look away immediately when she found he was already watching her. Intently.
Her heart melted at the chosen song and she turned to face Itachi, allowing a soft smile to grace her lips once her back was to their audience.
"I'm telling you. I softly whisper, tonight. Tonight. You are my angel. I love you. We will become one, tonight. Tonight. I just say…"
Considering all that had happened earlier, the song was hardly appropriate, but Sakura refused to dwell on it. As Itachi said: they couldn't let Kurotsuchi down. Not only was she relying on them for that particular section of her portfolio, but there were no doubts in Sakura's mind that their photo shoot alone had cost her a fortune.
"Wherever you are, I always make you smile."
When he held out his hand to her, she didn't hesitate in taking it, allowing Itachi to gently pull her closer, their fingers entwining.
"Repeat that move, but slower."
"Wherever you are, I'm always by your side."
Once they'd done as she asked, his other hand came to her waist, soon coming around her, bringing her flush against his body and she felt her cheeks burn. Instincts told her to seek out Sasuke, to pull away and go to him, but she stamped them down, breathing deeply, gazing down at the lack of distance between them.
"Whatever you say, you're always on my mind."
She met his eyes in surprise, as the last thing Sakura had ever expected of Uchiha Itachi, was to know the lyrics to her favourite band's songs, let alone sing them to her.
"I promise you "forever" right now," he sung to her, voice too quiet for the others to pick up on as he turned them, beginning a slow dance. "I don't need a reason. I just want you, baby. Day after day."
Looking away from him was impossible. His eyes were the most intense they'd ever been but adding the lyrics to one of the most heartfelt songs she'd ever heard in her life, made them doubly so. His tender serenade made it difficult to breathe, leaving her at his utter mercy when he dipped her, his chest close to hers, breath warm on her neck.
"We still have a long journey ahead. Please always, always, until death, stay with me. We carry on…"
It was getting dangerous again, a voice in the back of her mind warned and her hand came to his chest, intent on pushing him away. Itachi must have sensed that, however, because he straightened them up and turned once more so that his back was to the photographer, his eyes imploring with her not to.
"Wherever you are, I never make you cry. Wherever you are, I never say goodbye. Whatever you say, you're always on my mind. I promise you 'forever' right now…"
With great care, she was eased away, before spinning back into him with the same tenderness, her back coming to his chest.
"To us, the day we met is the day we should commemorate the most. Then, this day called 'today' is the day we should commemorate the second most."
Shit.
There was no ignoring the pangs in her chest and she tried to look over her shoulder at Itachi, sucking in a sharp breath when she found he'd lowered his head, bringing it closer to hers, singing lowly into her ear.
He was seducing her, wasn't he? Was this what it was like to be seduced by Uchiha Itachi? To feel so completely overwhelmed by his presence?
"Someone I can love from the bottom of my heart. My beloved person."
She was turned again, slowly, carefully, their foreheads coming together and she shut her eyes, hiding the indecision that would be so painfully obvious in them. It was after several moments of thinking about it that her hands slid up his chest, arms coming around his neck, his soon wrapping around her waist, bringing them close once more.
"In the centre of my heart, you, my love, are there."
Sasuke had been unnervingly silent following the end of the photo shoot, waiting until she was officially dismissed and out of the wedding gown before approaching her.
She was removing the pins from her hair, running her fingers through the curls, when he sat down beside her. There wasn't too much product in her hair, thankfully, but there was enough to keep the curls for a while longer. She was glad for that, in a way. Never before had Sakura ever curled her hair, but she had to admit, it was a nice change.
"The photo shoot was…"
He was at a loss for words. Coming to a halt in playing with her hair, even though it gave her something else to focus on, she frowned up at him. "Was uncomfortable, right?" Sasuke could only nod and she found it impossible to try and soothe him. "I didn't like it either."
"You didn't?"
What was that supposed to mean? "No," she said, frown deepening. "At the start of the day, all I was thinking about was how pretty the dress was and how pretty I felt wearing it, but it was…" She grimaced, struggling to find the words that wouldn't land both her and Itachi into trouble. "It was too much for me. As the day's gone on, I've only gotten more and more uncomfortable with it all. I think I'll prefer the next one more."
There was a long, drawn out pause, before Sasuke sighed and glanced down at his legs, scowling somewhat. "I'm still glad it's Itachi who's here," he admitted and she saw a blush beginning to creep along his cheek and the tips of his ears. "Had it been a stranger, I don't think I would've been able to sit there."
"Doesn't that make it worse?" she asked, confused. "The fact that Itachi-san is your brother and I've just pretended to marry him?"
He rolled his eyes, snorting. "No. I trust Itachi and it's not like he'd ever be into you."
Wow, she couldn't help but think numbly. Was Sasuke's opinion really that low of her? Did he really think it was impossible for anyone else to like her? Wasn't she good enough for Itachi? Was it because of the way she looked? Or worse, her personality?
Frowning, she looked at the handheld mirror before her, watching as she resumed running her fingers through the ends of her curls. Her makeup was still on, withstanding the nerves and bright lights that had accompanied her throughout the photo shoot, still completely intact and flawless. She supposed, without it, she was quite plain, really. Her skin didn't have the flawless, matt look, or the highlighter that demanded attention be brought to her most defining features. The contour helped to create shadows, taking attention away from her forehead and defining her jaw. And her eyelashes were just barely half the length of the ones applied for the photo shoot. She–
"Yeah," she agreed with a light laugh.
Ducking her head, Sakura tightened her shoelaces. Since the first part of the photo shoot had ended, they were allowed to go and explore and she'd promised Naruto that they could disappear on a hike for a few hours. Whether that included Sasuke or not remained unknown. He would probably stay behind with his brother.
When she lifted her head and prepared to stand, Sakura's eyes froze on the sight of the older Uchiha walking through the sets, joined by Kurotsuchi. They were too far for her to hear anything, but whatever he was saying had to have been funny, because she was smirking, occasionally laughing. And the sight, for reasons she didn't even want to acknowledge, bothered her. More than she ever could have imagined.
"Sakura-chan?"
"Hm?" She looked away just as her eyes met Itachi's, looking to her boyfriend.
It wasn't even Sasuke who'd spoken. How the hell had she managed to miss that? Offering a sheepish smile, she apologised to her best friend. He was watching her with a concerned frown, his eyes silently asking her what their idiot had done now to upset her, to which she responded with a minute shake of her head when Sasuke wasn't looking. The lie wasn't bought, but she didn't care.
"Some of the others are tagging along," Naruto informed them with a grin.
Oh, no. "Who?"
Instead of answering immediately, Naruto pointed over to the pair she'd just been staring at and, much to her displeasure, they had almost reached them. Sakura had assumed that because Kurotsuchi still had her camera, that she was staying behind. Then again, she was a photographer. She would probably take advantage of the opportunity to further expand her portfolio with some shots of nature.
"And Deidara, too. He's just changing."
Great. She'd been looking forward to a hike with Naruto (and only Naruto), but obviously, everything was against her. Maybe it was her punishment for almost kissing her boyfriend's brother?
They were standing pretty close together, Sakura couldn't help but notice when Itachi and Kurotsuchi finally joined them. Changed out of the clothes they'd worn for the photo shoot, they wore outfits suitable for the hike, having been prepared for anything due to where the shoots were happening.
"You did well today," Kurotsuchi told her, coming to stand by her side. "I haven't had the chance to go through all of them yet, but if you want, you can take a look at them with me later?" She smiled encouragingly, patting her shoulder. "Once you see yourself, you'll realise you have nothing to feel nervous about."
Damn it, did she have to be so nice?
Wait, why couldn't she be nice? Inwardly scolding herself for being childish, she nodded once, smiling on the outside. "I'd love to."
Fortunately, they didn't have to wait too long for Deidara to return and once they were certain they had everything they needed, mainly water, she followed Naruto's example, leading at the front with him while the rest trailed along behind them at a more leisurely pace.
"Oi."
She stepped a little closer to her blond best friend, pleading with him, "Don't. Please."
There was a brief side eyed glance before Naruto scowled, focusing on the ground beneath their feet. They'd only been walking for ten minutes before he started, so they weren't all that far from the cabin – they could still hear the music being played by those who stayed behind and it disturbed the hike somewhat, refusing to allow them to fully immerse themselves in nature.
A quick glance behind them had Naruto continuing, demanding, "You know how bad that looked, right?"
Yes, she did. "I-"
"Sasuke couldn't even watch," he told her seriously, scowling when their eyes met. "It was killing him seeing you with Itachi like that."
It had? But he seemed so uncaring, like it didn't matter to him in the least. "He said-"
"It doesn't matter what he said," snapped Naruto, stunning her. "You of all people should know to look deeper than that, Sakura-chan."
She gazed over her shoulder at her boyfriend, biting her lip worriedly when she found him at the back of the group, staring into the trees at the side of them with an expression she couldn't even begin to decipher. It had her stopping in her walk, ignoring the others as they passed her until Sasuke was by her side. She smiled somewhat at him, seeking out his hand and it warmed her heart how his eyes lightened a little, their fingers lacing.
"I love you," she murmured to him.
Much to her relief, he smiled.
Was Itachi going out of his way to avoid her? No, not exactly avoid, but their eyes didn't meet half as much as they previously did, she noticed within an hour of their hike. He also didn't try to start any conversations with her, instead conversing with Kurotsuchi and Deidara – mainly the former, she noticed with a faint pang.
Why was she even feeling so… pushed aside? It was ridiculous, wasn't it? Though, having said that, she knew that Itachi had always involved her in one way or another. Even when she wasn't a part of the conversation, they'd always acknowledged one another with a smile of some kind. So why was he suddenly so cold? Had their photo shoot knocked him as badly as it had her? Was he trying to distance himself?
Why did the thought of him distancing himself from her hurt? Was it because he'd promised to always be there for her? To listen to her problems? To offer her advice or a shoulder to cry on?
Gods, what the hell was wrong with her?
They crossed a wooden bridge and she eyed the flowing water beneath them, her gaze drawn to the way it splashed over the rocks and stones, soaking them but never submerging them.
"There's an embankment," she suddenly informed the others, causing them to come to a stop. "It might be nice to sit there for a while."
They were far enough from the cabin now not to hear the music anymore, allowing them to appreciate the natural beauty surrounding them, aiding them to hear the wildlife within the woods. It was something to marvel at, she thought to herself, already making her way towards the embankment she'd pointed out. It didn't matter if they didn't want to join her, she decided, because Sasuke did without question, taking the lead when they began the descent, watching over his shoulder to ensure she didn't come to any harm. His concern had her smiling and when they reached the bottom, she sat close to him, marvelling at the peaceful area.
It was untouched by man, she hoped while surveying the area, admiring the random changes in the terrain, the chaotic trunks splayed out on certain parts of the embankment, alerting her to previous flooding so strong it had torn them from their roots. There weren't too many like that, though. Others appeared to have grown oddly, sprouting outwards rather than upwards.
The others soon joined them and she watched while taking sips of her water as Kurotsuchi walked around the area, snapping pictures here and there. It wasn't until she was looking away from the older woman that she found she finally had Itachi's attention, their eyes locking for the longest two seconds of her entire life.
What kind of emotion was that in his eyes? It was one she couldn't describe, that was for sure. There also wasn't much time to figure it out, since Kurotsuchi called his name and he answered, immediately walking over to her.
"Do you know what this is called?" she questioned, holding up a flower.
"No."
Really? Neither of them knew what kind of flower that was? It was adored almost as much as her namesake, the cherry blossom. Hadn't they heard of the story of the emperor who'd sent them to the family of the girl he loved, apologising to them for neglecting her? It was one of the first things she learned. It was a story she and Ino had adored growing up.
Holding back the urge to roll her eyes, she said, "It's a hydrangea."
"Oh?" Kurotsuchi admired the flower, raising her camera to snap away from different angles. "Do you know much about flowers?"
"A bit," she told her and stood, dusting off her shorts and legs. "I know how to identify them and what they symbolise."
Intrigued, the woman pulled her over to the cluster of hydrangea, asking, "What does this mean, then?"
Was that meant as a challenge? A discreet glance at the others told her it was possible, for they seemed far too involved in a discussion about flowers, for her liking. "They all hold different meanings-"
"Every colour?"
"Yeah." Losing herself in their beauty, Sakura knelt, her fingertips grazing the soft petals. "The purple ones symbolise a desire to deeply understand someone."
"Oh?" Leaning closer and lowering her camera from her face, Kurotsuchi pointed to the pink one. "This one?"
"This one symbolises heartfelt emotion."
The woman hummed and stood up straight, eyeing the area around them critically. When she couldn't spot anymore flowers (which wasn't unusual, considering they were fairly deep into the woods and until that moment, it'd been mainly soil and trees and the odd bit of grass), she spun, raising an eyebrow.
That was definitely a challenge.
"Cherry blossoms?"
Sakura did roll her eyes that time. Why wouldn't she know the symbolism of her own namesake? "Cherry blossoms symbolise the fragility of life. People also say they symbolise chastity, love and good luck."
"Irises," Deidara surprised her by speaking up.
"Which colour?"
"All."
It was a good thing she'd been such a know-it-all at school, always demanding herself to do better on her quizzes. "Purple irises symbolise royalty and wisdom. Blue is faith and hope. White is purity. Yellow is passion."
Further in the back, Sasuke smirked, his pride making her heart flutter. "Daffodil."
She smiled. He already knew that one, she knew for a fact that he did. "New beginnings."
"Morning glory," Naruto said with a snicker.
Oh, he'd always found the name of the flower hilarious, never failing to laugh to himself whenever he heard or said it. Was there any doubts why it was his favourite flower? "Affection."
"Bellflower."
Why did it sound like Kurotsuchi was growing frustrated? Also, for a woman who didn't know what a hydrangea looked like, she knew quite a few names of other flowers, Sakura couldn't help but notice suspiciously. "Endless love and honesty. Some believe it also means the return of a friend is desired."
"Camellia?" came Itachi's question.
She forced herself to remain unaffected, meeting his eye with a friendly smile. So he was finally giving her attention now?
That particular flower had several meanings, though she certainly wasn't about to say out loud that it meant discretion. "Admiration, humility and the perfect love. Or when given to someone you're romantically involved with it means you are a flame in my heart."
"Cosmos?"
The mentioning of the cosmos had her holding back a frown, the thought of her ex-best friend causing an awful pain in her heart. "I'm bored of this now," she said with a breathy laugh.
"You just don't know," came Kurotsuchi's victorious statement.
Wow, she really was annoying. Deidara hadn't been lying. "No, I know what it means. I'm just bored."
"Sure."
"Like every other flower, it symbolises many different things," she found herself snapping, much to the surprise of the others. "It means peace, beauty, modesty, order… Want me to continue?"
"It is getting old now," agreed Itachi. "You know a lot about flowers, Sakura-san."
She breathed out a deep sigh, willing away her annoyance. It wasn't fair on any of the others – it was her own bad mood, not theirs. Why should it dampen their day, too? Why should she let her anger towards herself ruin the experience for them?
"I used to be best friends with a girl whose parents owned a flower store," she answered the unspoken question, sitting beside her boyfriend once more. "We hung out there a lot."
"Man, I'm starving," Naruto whined dramatically. "When can we eat?"
Gods, she loved that boy. He knew it was a sore topic for her. He knew how much it hurt talking about Ino and the fall of what had once been an unbreakable friendship.
"We'll head back in the next hour."
"That's over two hours altogether," he all but howled like he was in agony.
She smiled.
It was well into the evening when she heard a knock on her door. They'd each been given a bedroom, the cabin large enough to accommodate everyone, although a few had to double up. Fortunately for her, Sakura wasn't one of those people, although she knew Itachi was sharing with Deidara. He didn't seem to mind.
Surprise had her opening her door wider, the sight of her boyfriend with a bag slung over his shoulders making her frown. "You're not leaving, are you?"
He smirked. "Not until morning."
"Then why…?"
There wasn't a verbal response. Instead, Sasuke held out his hand, waiting until she had shut her bedroom door and accepted his hand before guiding her in the direction of the stairs, then to the front door.
"Sasuke-kun, where-"
"Just wait," he ordered softly, further surprising her when she saw the back of his neck burning red.
They didn't stray too far from the cabin, she noticed when they finally reached their destination. Should anyone look out of their bedroom windows, they would see them. However, she didn't care in the slightest. Not when she spotted the opening in the trees directly above a blanket that had been strategically placed on the ground, pinned there by various items.
Her mouth fell open, taking her a few moments to ask lamely, "What's this?"
"I realised that it's been a while since our last date," he murmured, walking backwards as he guided her to the blanket. "It's not much-"
"It's perfect," she couldn't help but whisper.
It was the first time that he had arranged a date by himself and to come up with something so heartfelt was… Tears threatened to fill her eyes and she grinned, throwing her arms around her boyfriend.
"I love it, Sasuke-kun," she told him earnestly and pulled back, kissing him briefly, chastely. "And I love you."
"Come on," he instructed, lowering his bag to one of the corners of the blanket. She didn't fail to see the blush he tried so hard to hide. "You can actually see the stars out here."
Gods, she loved him.
Her elation only continued to grow when Sasuke emptied the contents of his bag, placing her favourite snacks to the side of her. Then, he lowered himself onto the blanket, propped up by his elbows, head falling back to look at the stars.
He was right. They were so clear out in the woods. Smiling, Sakura turned onto her back, gazing up at the sky. It was rare of them to actually see the stars, since there was so much pollution and way too many lights in Konoha.
"Sakura."
She looked up at him, heart fluttering when Sasuke turned onto his side, using a single elbow to keep himself propped up, his other hand settling between them. His expression was calm, but she knew something was bothering him from the way he took a while to continue. Instead of pushing (since she'd learned the hard way that it did no good), Sakura waited patiently, holding his hand once more until he found the words he needed.
"I don't want to be the kind of boyfriend who refuses to allow you to do something you love or enjoy," he began slowly and frowned again, staring at their joined hands. "But… I told you I would be more open with you. Our relationship isn't going to improve unless we're honest about what's bothering us." He sighed, finally meeting her gaze. "I didn't like today."
There it was. The communication they'd promised to work on. He was finally letting her in. "I know, Sasuke-kun," she replied. Giving his hand a squeeze, she told him, "And I can assure you now, that I will never take part in another photo shoot like this. It was uncomfortable for me, too."
Relief. It was so clear in his eyes. "I hated seeing you with Itachi like that," Sasuke admitted, like the door was open now and he couldn't stop the confessions. "I stopped watching when you were dancing."
An idea struck her and Sakura pulled away, taking Sasuke's phone and immediately seeking out his music app. It warmed her heart that he had music she loved on his phone too, as she knew it was for his car. She avoided her favourite band, however, as she knew it would still feel raw for Sasuke. Instead, she sought out the newest band that was being overplayed by her boyfriend and their best friend, choosing one of their slowest songs.
It didn't surprise her that Sasuke knew where she was going with her actions and he smirked, standing with her and coming away from the blanket.
"I love you," she told him again, reminding him as her arms came around him, her head on his chest. Then, she started a gentle sway, their feet barely shuffling on the ground. "Nothing and no-one will ever come close to this, Sasuke-kun."
He sighed with what she knew to be relief, cheek resting on top of her head, lips brushing her hair momentarily in a tender kiss. "Never."
Their date had been perfect from start to finish. Nobody interrupted them. Neither of them pushed things to progress before they were ready. They had snacks and spoke about everything and nothing, truly taking note of the things the other person was saying and even now, the next day as she was being prepped by the makeup artist, Sakura's heart fluttered.
Due to Naruto still being asleep, Sasuke hadn't left immediately. Instead, he was talking with his brother, who was once more ready way before she was. Fortunately for her, she wasn't sat there for as long as she had been the day before. There was no dramatic makeup or perfectly styled hair. Instead, her makeup was kept natural yet flattering, highlighting her best features and her hair was simple, styled to the top of her head, the ponytail only incomplete by her bangs, which had too many layers in to be tied back. She could have used hairspray, the hair stylist had told her, but it wouldn't be a good look for her, having her hair flattened to her head.
Or, in other words: you have a huge forehead and if I do this, then it's just going to make it look bigger.
Rolling her eyes once she was allowed to stand, Sakura stole a glance at herself in the mirror. Nobody would be buying that she was doing a serious workout – the makeup was too much. However, she knew in the back of her mind that it wasn't a serious workout Kurotsuchi wanted, since that wouldn't look too great either.
As though she had an inclination of where her thoughts had been, once Sakura joined the others outside, she asked both her and Itachi, "How flexible are you both?"
Definitely not an ordinary workout, then. "Pretty flexible."
"Fairly."
The vague answers didn't impress her in the least. "What can you both do?"
"I do yoga."
"I could do yoga."
Sakura bit back her smirk at Itachi's reluctance and she noticed Sasuke smirking from his seat a few feet behind them.
Her boyfriend was definitely in a better mood, she thought to herself with a warm smile. Last night, they'd discussed the photo shoot and she'd assured him that this one wouldn't be as romantic – wouldn't be romantic whatsoever, since they were supposed to be appealing to sports catalogues, or clothing, or whatever the hell it was that Kurotsuchi wanted them to pose for now. She'd also informed him that she'd have to seriously consider the offer, if there happened to be another. Her main condition was that it couldn't be romantic again. Ever. It wasn't fair to her boyfriend.
"Warm up."
They did so wordlessly and Sakura wondered if she was the only one who could sense the awkward atmosphere. While stretching out her hamstrings, she glanced in Itachi's direction, holding back her frown as she watched him stretching.
"Left leg, Sakura."
Sasuke's instructions surprised her, but she thanked him, as she'd been about to skip her left leg to move onto her arms, forgetting about it.
"You can move it higher than that," said Sasuke with a vague tone of disapproval. "Why aren't you?"
Gods, he made it sound like he had personal experience in moving it that high. Her cheeks were burning when the others looked in their direction and she dropped her leg due to the lapse in concentration.
"I was working up to it, Sasuke-kun," she assured him and frowned. "I can't go straight into it or else it'll hurt me in the long run."
"You weren't even easing yourself into it," he scolded her quietly. "You'll do more harm to yourself if you don't stretch properly."
Yes, he was right, but…
Sakura sighed. No, he was right. And she hadn't been concentrating in the least. Hell, her right leg probably wasn't properly stretched – the fact she questioned it, told her it wasn't.
She started from the beginning, going from basic stretches to the more complex ones that yoga had helped her body learn. Before starting, she'd struggled with the majority of the poses, but now, she was capable of most of them. Some were still way out of her reach, however. Even after practising her flexibility and pushing her body, it wasn't possible to reach those heights without proper lessons. She merely followed the directions on the internet, hoping for the best.
"Don't forget your hips."
Yes, she knew that already. She was working her way up, damn it.
The stretching went on for far too long, in her opinion and her boyfriend hadn't helped matters in the least. It was quickly becoming apparent that he would become more involved with the sporty photo shoot, since he knew a fair amount about it. After all, he was the one who instructed her to try yoga when she complained about wanting to lose weight, telling her that it would help keep her healthy and tone up, rather than losing weight she didn't need to lose.
"Okay, do either of you recognise these poses?" asked Kurotsuchi when she returned to them, holding up a tablet.
Couple's yoga? Sakura narrowed her eyes on the poses on screen, her stomach somersaulting with nervousness at the complexity of some of them. They were intimidating to say the least. Naturally, the men's involvement looked easy and lazy, but she knew that they were the main structure in the whole thing. If they weren't selected carefully, then there would be many injuries. They had to be strong enough to lift the second person, being their foundation, in a sense. Frowning, she looked to Itachi. While he looked strong, she wasn't sure if he would be able to hold her for long periods of time.
She'd never attempted couple's yoga before, as it wasn't something Sasuke was interested in, but the ordinary, individual poses alone were difficult enough. Could she handle the pressure of it?
"You should have an instructor for this," Deidara warned Kurotsuchi. "They could get hurt."
"I didn't know that this is what I wanted to do-"
"Then reschedule the whole thing or change your idea," he told her simply and it stunned Sakura, since he was a fellow artist. He would understand how important that idea was to her. It only went to prove the great risk, making her nerves grow. "You don't even have yoga mats for them, Kurotsuchi."
"Deidara-nii-"
"I'll instruct them," offered Sasuke uncaringly. He stood up, making his way over to them, not taking notice of the way they each watched him closely, probably wondering if he even knew what would be needed of him. Honestly, even Sakura doubted him. "I know a fair bit of yoga and I know what they're both capable of doing."
There was no hiding her nerves when Kurotsuchi agreed enthusiastically, ignoring Deidara's unease as he continued to tell her it was a bad idea. That was her main cause of anxiety, Sakura believed. Even when one of the props guys just so happened to also be carrying a yoga mat (they claimed to have been prepared for anything), she couldn't quieten the nervousness.
"Start off small," he told her, looking through the tablet. "And you can forget about most of these. Your photo shoot isn't worth risking them being injured."
Her heart warmed and she looked to Itachi, both surprised and happy to find he was at ease with Sasuke taking charge. They were in capable hands, weren't they? He wouldn't let harm come to either of them.
"Oi, don't go crossing any out because you don't want his hands on her. This is my-"
"Don't be stupid," he scoffed and set the tablet down on the camping table placed there, allowing them both to see what pose he chose. "I'm crossing them out for their safety. You're hardly prepared for any of the expert acro poses you were looking at." Pausing, he took a half step back so he could look at her directly, narrowing his eyes. "You do have a first aid kit, right?"
Deidara groaned and dropped his head back when she smiled sheepishly.
"It won't be necessary," Itachi assured them and stepped onto the yoga mat, having already learned the pose. Once she joined him, he told her, "I won't drop you."
How could she not believe him when he looked at her like that? Like she was… Sakura wasn't even sure. Whatever the look suggested, she was glad Sasuke couldn't see it.
She smiled warmly. "I know."
When they knew Kurotsuchi was ready, Itachi lowered himself to the mat, his back flat on the ground, hands outstretched, waiting for hers. It was nervously that she took his hands, their fingers entwined, but his grip was strong, sure and reminded her that he wouldn't drop her. So, she breathed in calmly, willing the racing of her heart to stop as she leaned over him, his feet coming to her abdomen uncomfortably.
And then she was up there. Sasuke hovered for a moment, ready to catch her as they took several seconds to find their balance, but he didn't intervene, much to her gratefulness. She could do it. They could do it. They didn't need help.
"Itachi, turn your toes outwards." It seemed to amuse him finding a fault in something his older brother was doing. "Otherwise you'll cause her discomfort."
She made sure her legs were straight, almost like she was planking, and pretended not to notice the flashing of the camera as she looked down at Itachi. He was calm, his breathing normal and she copied his example, smiling faintly.
They were doing it!
"Got it," Kurotsuchi told them. "Next!"
Sasuke muttered something under his breath before stepping closer, ready as Sakura was slowly lowered to with little difficulty in finding the ground.
"Itachi, stay on the ground." He grabbed the tablet and held it out for them and Sakura felt her stomach flutter at the next pose. It was a good thing they had a nice breeze coming in, otherwise she would've started sweating. "Bend your knees again." Once he'd done so, Sasuke placed the tablet on the ground beside them, turning to her. "I'm going to help you up. I don't know how to safely get you up there," he admitted.
There weren't any names for the poses or instructions on how to safely carry them out. It seemed as though Kurotsuchi had literally searched "couple's yoga" and left Sasuke with the image search results.
"Itachi, be ready to hold her shoulders," he said seriously and it warmed her heart seeing the concentration on Sasuke's face as he positioned her, his hands lingering, hovering over her. "You can do handstands," he told her, though sounded more like he was reminding himself. "Try and do one as slowly as you can."
Sakura bit her lip, calculating the angle her hands had to be on his knees. It'd be difficult doing it slowly, too. Part of her wanted to shout at Sasuke, as this definitely wasn't keeping things simple, but she couldn't find it in herself to be mad, since she knew how concerned he was. But if she miscalculated by even a second, she would end up doing a flip and seriously hurting Itachi, she realised with building dread. She would either land on his chest with her full weight, or his face. Both were bad, in her eyes.
"I trust you," Itachi surprised her by saying, giving her a small smile and it was that smile alone that lessened her worry. "So, trust me. I will catch you."
She nodded and positioned her hands on his knees. They could fix the angle once he had her secured, she decided and like with the previous pose, she took a deep breath, using her upper body strength to pull herself upwards. Instead of throwing herself into it, like she and Ino had been wont to do when they were younger and playing in grassy fields, she fought hard to control her weight, pleased when Sasuke allowed her a few moments to support herself, straightening her faintly shaking arms until she was in a perfect handstand, supported solely by Itachi's knees. Much to her surprise, he didn't falter. There was no trembling.
His hands came to her waist, adding extra support as Sasuke told her, "Ease yourself towards him, like you're doing a front flip."
It was terrifying. She tried her best not to pay attention to those surrounding them, their mouths agape with anticipation, fidgeting restlessly. Her arms shook momentarily and Sasuke came to stand over Itachi's head, his hands secure on her back, slowing her flip when he realised she had hardly any control of the movement.
"Breathe, Sakura," he told her. "Itachi, get ready to hold her shoulders."
More hands touched her and it shocked her that she could tell the difference between the two. Itachi's hands were larger, but Sasuke's were more calloused, the differences threatening to steal her concentration. She couldn't tell if her face was red due to the strain she was under, or because of her traitorous thoughts.
"Like this?" asked Itachi.
Sasuke took a moment, glancing down at the tablet, before frowning, taking a step back. Not once did he release her, however and for that, she was grateful. "Straighten your arms more."
Sakura could tell when he had it, because a fraction of the tension her body was under eased and she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Sakura, turn your hands a little – you need a better grip of his knees to support yourself."
Knowing he was staying close and that she could trust him to catch her, Sakura shut her eyes, thankful for the extra support Itachi gave her as she, inch by inch, turned her hands. It took too much of her concentration to breathe calmly. "This okay?" she asked.
"Yeah," he said and then took a step back, assessing them critically. "Think of a lunge for this next part, Sakura," he instructed. "But point your toes while you're doing it."
A lunge? Frowning, she bent one of her legs, the other straight, before pointing her toes. "Like this?"
"No." Sasuke scooped up the tablet and held it up for her.
"It looks like a grand jete," Itachi surprised them by saying. "Do you know ballet?"
No, she didn't. But apparently he did. Storing that knowledge aside for later, because damn she had to know more, Sakura copied the picture with narrowing eyes, allowing Sasuke to correct her positioning when she struggled.
"Try to lose the constipated look, Sakura," she heard Kurotsuchi muttering.
Constipated? That–
She breathed in deeply through her mouth, out through her nose and shut her eyes, doing her best to make her expression more relaxed and peaceful, like her arms weren't threatening to give out on her.
"Next!"
Trying to move her head back a little further, Sakura eyed the space above Itachi's shoulders thoughtfully before taking a chance, bringing her legs over her head and easing her feet onto the ground. She was certain Sasuke nearly had a heart attack, but she paid him no mind, straightening up. Itachi had trusted her, even strengthening his hands while she moved, supporting her, helping her complete the flip.
It'd been a while since she last did any kind of gymnastics, though she was pleasantly surprised to find that her body was still able to manage the tricks. Did she still have the courage to perform a standing back tuck, or an ordinary back tuck? Probably not, no. As a kid, she'd been daring, not thinking about the consequences should she fall the wrong way. Now, it was all she could think about. Broken bones weren't fun.
"You can get up for this one, Itachi."
He seemed happy for the news – not that she could really blame him. Up until that point, he'd merely been a prop for her to perform the poses on.
"Get a good look at this one," ordered Sasuke and he held out the tablet, making Sakura's heart skip a beat at the new pose. "Do you think you can handle it?"
No, she wanted to say. No, she didn't think she could do it.
Instead, Sakura nodded, trying her best to smile. "We won't know unless we try, right?"
Wordlessly nodding, Itachi got into position, bending his knees though keeping them together, waiting for Sakura patiently. It was with great trepidation that she planted one foot on his thigh, hands coming to his shoulders for balance and while she moved into position, Itachi's hands came to her legs, holding her in place, allowing Sakura to place the heel of her foot on his shoulder. She kept her legs straightened, foot still using his thigh to balance on, the other on his shoulder, before closing her eyes and putting all of her trust in Itachi and her own upper body strength.
It was only when she was leaning backwards as far as she could physically bend that she opened her eyes, grinning at her own accomplishment. Cheekily, she made the victory sign, until she felt where Itachi's hand was, making her blush terribly, nearly causing herself to fall. In order to keep some form of control over how far she went back, his hand remained on the very top of her thigh, the pressure doing weird things to her and she bit her lip. The hold had tightened when she startled, shifting to adjust to the movement.
"Try the 'OK' sign instead, Sakura."
She did it without hesitation, for the simple fact that she wanted to get down.
"Next!"
"This one is simpler," informed Sasuke as he stood beneath her, waiting until Sakura righted herself, once more holding onto Itachi's shoulders before stepping down, trying her best not to look him in the eye. "And I'm sure you can both do it."
The picture he showed her allowed Sakura to take a breather and she instantly got into position, taking calm, even breaths as she stood straight and lifted her leg behind herself at a ninety degree angle, bending with it until her back was flat, level with her leg. Only when she was certain that her balance was okay did Sakura start bending backwards, grabbing at her foot before it could escape her. Her back was a perfect arch, foot held tight in her grasp.
Itachi had been copying while she was busy focusing on her own pose, assessing the distance between them before he was reaching out, their hands coming together in a firm grasp.
Much to her embarrassment, she felt heat spreading across her cheeks as she held eye contact with him, and it took everything within herself not to bite her lip or show her restlessness.
"How many poses do you want?" Sasuke drawled, looking over in Kurotsuchi's direction.
"Three more," she replied distractedly, too busy taking pictures from different angles. "Next!"
Getting out of their pose was much simpler than the rest and Sakura shook herself out, doing a brief stretch to make sure she didn't grow stiff.
It was surprising how flexible Itachi was, as she hadn't pictured him as being such and she wondered if it had any ties to his knowledge on ballet. Was he a ballerina? Had he been one at some point in his life? Or did he simply admire the dance? There was no time to ask, as they were being shown their next pose, deciding to get straight into it.
"Remember in the gym, Sakura?" Sasuke questioned, holding his hand out for her to stop when she'd been about to move. "When you were helping me?"
The memory was mostly a pleasant one and she nodded, fighting back her blush. "You want me to do that now?"
At his nod, she waited until Itachi was in a push up position before moving, hesitating for a brief moment. It felt odd doing the same thing with Itachi that she'd been doing with Sasuke – not uncomfortable, strangely enough. Just… odd. And as she lowered herself on top of Itachi, bodies pressed together, she felt her skin heat up considerably when it came into contact with his. She tried to ignore it, her arms coming around his midsection rather than his neck, her eyes trained on the picture.
"Itachi, do a push up."
Once his arms were fully extended, he held the pose, and she took that as her cue to move again, using her core to lift her lower half, back arching at the very base. It took a few extra moments to perfect it, her toes inches from the back of her head.
"Move slowly, nii-san," ordered Sasuke and she felt him hovering again. "If you can't balance yourself, leave it. We'll move onto another."
It made her smile despite the position she was in witnessing how protective Sasuke was being of her, how wary he was of her being harmed. After all, if Itachi lost his balance and happened to fall forward, he would either flip them and land on top of her, or he would flip himself and they would land on her head. Either way, her neck would take some serious damage.
"You're still ridiculous asking this of them," snapped Deidara and she noticed him also coming closer, standing on their other side. Did he realise the danger her neck was in? "You should have hired professionals for this."
"Not helping," Sakura told him through gritted teeth.
Keeping her core tight as she felt Itachi moving, her arms flexed, strengthening their hold.
And then Itachi was copying her position, though with less of an arch as his back continued to support her, his legs momentarily brushing along hers. She heard Sasuke and Deidara moving away quickly, allowing Kurotsuchi to take more pictures and she breathed out shakily.
"Are you okay?"
She was surprised he was even talking to her – yesterday, he'd been reluctant to do so, only talking to keep up appearances that all was well between them.
Staying as still as possible, she replied, "Warm."
"There are two more poses." There was a moment of pause in his words and she felt him strengthening his position, allowing her to rest more against him. Gratefully, she took full advantage of his kindness. "If you wish, I can ask-"
"No, I can do it," she told him determinedly.
"Very well."
With a near silent grunt, Itachi managed to ease not only himself, but her weight too, gently back into the push up position, soon lowering himself until he was flat on the yoga mat.
"Do either of you need a break?" questioned Sasuke when he returned to their sides. "Your bodies are under pressure they've never endured before."
Yes, they were, but they needed to get on with it. There were only two poses left. They could–
"Fine, Deidara-nii-san," Kurotsuchi finally snapped and stood up straight, dropping her camera and leaving it to hang around her neck. "Guys, that's enough of couple's yoga. We'll move onto something else. Take an hour to get something to eat."
She'd been in the middle of moving away from Itachi when Kurotsuchi yelled and hearing that she was moving on from the couple's yoga idea, she felt all fight vanish, leaving Sakura to collapse back on top of Itachi.
"Help," she muttered weakly, trying to laugh.
Everything hurt.
"I knew you'd be in pain," Sasuke growled in annoyance towards the photographer.
Beneath her, Itachi shifted, resting on his elbows and turning his head to the side to look at her, asking, "Are you okay, Sakura-san?"
Not really, she wanted to whine. "I'll be fine."
Gritting her teeth, she pushed herself up, then without a care rolled off Itachi with a huff, laying on her back to stare up at the bright sky above them.
"What about you?" she asked, tilting her head to see him better. Itachi also rolled onto his back, breathing out a deep sigh. Other than the sigh, he seemed unaffected by it all. "I'm sorry for throwing myself down on you like that."
"Your body was under a great amount of strain," he replied simply.
Yes, it had been, though her body had surprised her immensely by bending fairly easily. If she continued to do tricks and poses such as those, how flexible would she become? Would she grow more confident in her own body's abilities?
"Sasuke-kun?" Wordlessly, he knelt beside her, waiting for her to continue. "Thank you for helping us. I think we would've had to let Kurotsuchi-san down, had you not been here."
He smirked lightly. "Don't thank me. I enjoyed being the brother who orders the other around for once."
Much to her surprise, Itachi also smirked, murmuring, "Do not get used to it, Sasuke."
A/N - If anyone wants to see the dress and the yoga poses, check out my Pinterest. Username's Rise of the Blossom and the board is RSOF - PHOTO SHOOT. (riseoftheblossom/rsof-the-photo-shoot/)
Also! If you have the time, listen to these songs, they're the songs Itachi and Sakura ( watch?v=4ZXdbzbojvM ), and Sasuke and Sakura danced ( watch?v=6ThQkrXHdh4 ) to!