This story is rated M due to language and sexual situations.

Disclaimer: Only in my dreams do I own the Naruto-verse and the characters involved. o.~

Chapter Two: Cat Naps and Table Talk

Sakura's lungs ached with the force of her sigh.

"I have to answer this." She showed the mini display on her cell phone which read, "Don't Panic," to Itachi.

He raised an eyebrow in question, but didn't overtly express reluctance for her to answer.

"Hello, Ma." Sakura intentionally stressed the noun for Itachi's sake.

He calmly blinked, but made no further movements. The light-red head assumed that was his way of communicating an understanding, or... something.

"How are you, dear?" Her mother's voice won her focus. A calming effect occurred, as if an umbilical connection could be reached via maternal voice.

"...um, good?"

"Honey, you're a horrible liar. What's wrong?"

Sakura looked up and caught Itachi's dark eyes. He had moved closer to her, and there was no way he hadn't heard her mother's question. Any doubt was thrown out the door when Sakura noticed his eyes narrow slightly as she hesitated.

"Oh, nothing. Really. I just..." She just had a man tied to a double homicide standing in her room without a shirt on. A definite no-no in regards to what you mention to your mother.

"You just...?"

Itachi's intense gaze burned twin holes through her. There was no way she could think of a good enough excuse for her mom while receiving such a look. She glared at the incorrigible man, trying her best to communicate her thoughts. When he merely crossed his arms, Sakura couldn't hold back her sigh of impatience.

"Oh! Oh, my goodness. Is there something I should know?" Her mother sounded so hopeful. "Are you, you know, seeing someone?"

Umbilical connection via maternal voice thoroughly severed, Sakura tried to massage away the oncoming headache.

"Ommigod! Karl, our daughter is seeing someone!" Her mother's loud voice was cheerful and horribly embarrassing to the short doctor. The unavoidable blush only added to her frustration.

Just how bad could one day get?

Squaring her shoulders, she fought back the blush and made eye contact with Itachi again. The intense look was gone, fortunately. In its place was that glint of amusement that Sakura was quickly becoming to consider familiar.

Damn him. How dare he find this situation amusing?

"Ma, I never said that!" The young woman finally protested.

"I am world wise, dear. I can tell these things. Now, I want to meet this young man." Her mother's voice offered no rebuttal.

The corner of Itachi's lips twitched into a small smirk. Mysterious, dark men weren't allowed to openly laugh, but she knew that he was laughing mercilessly on the inside. The bastard.

Sakura wanted to scream into a pillow. Or maybe just beat the man next to her a few more times with her bat. Okay, so the bat idea sounded really appealing to her. Screw the fact that he's injured - oh, shit! She had completely forgotten about Itachi's injuries once the adrenaline kicked into overdrive.

"Sakura? Are you listening to your mother?"

"Yes, of course," was Sakura's automatic response.

"Good, then I look forward to meeting your special someone."

Sakura's mouth opened, but her vocal chords had gone on strike.

"Diner is at seven, like usual. I'll see you then, love." Her mother's voice was practically radiating jubilance, and before Sakura had the chance to regain her voice, her mother had already hung up.

"Life sucks." The young woman complained as she tossed her cell phone onto her bed.

"Hn," was Itachi's simple reply.

Temper sparking, Sakura whirled around and marched straight in front of the current bane of her existence. He still looked pale from his blood loss, but she would care about that after she gave the man a piece of her mind. Glaring up at his ever stoic face, Sakura poked him in the chest. Hard.

"You are bad luck! You," another poke, "come here bleeding everywhere for me," she brought her thumb to her chest for emphasis, "to magically heal you with my imaginary powers." While she continued to gesture dramatically her voice escalated as well. "Then you decide it would be a great idea to shoot me!" Sakura failed to notice the dark-haired man's subtle signs of irritation during her tirade. "Oh, but that didn't work, so let's tackle her. What an even better idea, he thinks. Not as amazing as the next plan of supervising her unmistakably suspicious phone call with her mother, though. That's pure genius!"

So into her rant, Sakura had not been paying attention to Itachi at all. By the time she realized that she'd managed to affect the aloof man, she was still too overwhelmed with her emotions from the situation to back down. She stubbornly held her posture just as rigidly straight as his had become, and continued to glare expectantly at the man before her. His pale, angular face was disturbingly blank. He would have seemed lifeless were it not for the wild crimson tint to his dark eyes. So concentrated was his responding glare that it felt like a physical force. Slightly taken aback, the light red-head clenched her fists but refused to look away.

Sakura knew that Sasuke's older bother could have killed her, yet he had chosen not to. Indeed, she was grateful. That didn't mean she owed him anything for his decision to hold back on the murdering, and she sure as hell wasn't going to allow him to think that she did. Especially when she was already doing a favor for him.

Eyes widening, she watched Itachi's jaw clench. He was quite possibly restraining himself more than she understood. Then, Itachi slowly leaned forward until she felt his warm breath against her temple.

"Be glad, Sakura, that you at least have a mother to manage unmistakably suspicious conversations with." His voice was darkly untamed, yet still retained the quiet demeanor one associated with the Uchiha family. There was a hint of something else in that voice, something unbearably raw-perhaps a hard learned truth?

Maybe he didn't appreciate his own mother while she was alive? The thought flitted through her mind sadly.

The light red-head's temper cooled considerably at the new insight into the person before her, but there was just one more thing...

"All right." Carefully pushing the man away from her, she said, "we'll appreciate my mother together. At seven."

And to both of their surprise, Itachi didn't argue.

"So... what are you going to do after we get back from my parents?" Sakura asked while finishing up on Itachi's leg. This was her first attempt at conversation after what she deemed 'The Incident.' They had easily settled back into the routine of doctor and patient in silence, but the light red-head was growing tired. She hadn't been able to gain a good amount of sleep before Itachi came a-knockin', and now she'd been working for hours. Perfectionism was not a bad thing, dammit!

Itachi had watched the young doctor work intently and could tell she was nearing exhaustion, but he remained silent. Such a topic was definitely not something to be discussed with the woman before him.

"Please indulge a curious mind here. Are you going to put on a fashionable cloak and seek revenge? Maybe go to another country, join some form of mafia and then hide it out?"

Green eyes shot up in surprise at the sound of a deep chuckle. He was barely smirking, but his eyes were lit with mirth.

"You watch too much television, Sakura."

"Ptsh, I do not. Don't smirk! I barely have time to sleep, let alone watch TV, with my work schedule."

Itachi blatantly eyed the scenery of her not-so-clean apartment slowly. "No time, indeed."

"Oi! Don't even, jerk face."

Another deep chuckle.

She dramatically sighed to hide her own amusement. "You're so damn lucky I have a big heart."

They settled back into silence. Both with much on their mind. Sakura focused intently on Itachi's bullet wound. She was determined to finish soon so she could get lunch ready and have a nap before getting ready for the trying evening ahead of her. If not for her gut feelings toward the dark-haired man, she felt safe in the knowledge that he knew if she didn't show up for either her parents or her meeting with her dojo the next day they'd immediately think something was wrong.

As she had promised, she had called her sensei back (with Itachi at her side, of course). The light red-head felt bad about lying to Kakashi, but she wanted him to be able to focus on helping Sasuke cope with the loss of his parents. If, by chance, the man she was patching up truly was as bad as his little brother thought, then she arranged a dojo meeting with the injured man still standing right next to her. She was punctual by nature, and her sensei and dojo brothers were unbelievably protective of her. The slight gleam in Itachi's dark eyes told her that he knew exactly what she had done and why. She was quite surprised that his appraisal - no, approval - of her actions meant anything to her. She did her best not to focus too long on the feeling.

Kakashi had made her promise to use all of her door locks until Sasuke's brother was safely put away. Just in case, he had said. It all made her feel like Little Red Riding Hood. The thought had her lips quirking up.

Itachi silently observed the emotions passing over the young woman's face with an unreasonable amount of curiosity. Compared to what he'd heard from his little brother, he had to admit he found it rather unexpected how different his view of the light red-head before him was. Granted, her ability to switch from one emotion to another (usually on the opposite side of the spectrum) rang true. However, the vast majority of what Sasuke had complained about in the only girl on his training team was unfounded, Itachi thought. It was true that his little brother complained less about his fellow dojo members as he grew older, but he had always maintained an air of superiority.

Such a foolish little brother he was.

Distracted by a soft hand smoothing a large bandage over the wound on his leg, the dark haired man focused once again on the attractive face before him. Her eyes were dull in her fatigue, her movements slower as well. He noted how intently furrowed her brow was and acknowledged her strong sense of determination once again. The soft hand - her soft hand - continued to rhythmically pass over the bandage lightly. As content as he felt with her fondling his person, he wondered how much better her mind would operate with the correct amount of sleep.

"Sakura."

"Hm?" Coming out of her daze, Sakura realized she was finally finished with her task. "Oh... " And that even though she had zoned out, her pesky hand had a mind of its own. "Sorry."

Itachi couldn't help but find her embarrassment rather endearing. His brother must be half blind.

"Ugh," the light red-head stood up and stretched before washing her hands in the kitchen sink, "I could eat an elephant."

Their stomachs rumbled accordingly.

"Would you like any help?" Itachi offered after watching the woman dry her hands and rummage around her humble refrigerator.

Despite her shock at his offer, Sakura was never one to look a gift horse in the mouth. It wasn't long before the two had created impressive sandwiches, even if Itachi was going out on a limb to try the red-head's idea of double layered meat and cheese. He couldn't help but question where the petite woman's eating habits came from.

Sakura grabbed the remainder of her potato chips from her small pantry before leading the dark haired man into her living room of sorts. He followed politely behind her and waited for her to sit down before gingerly arranging himself onto her small couch. There was enough room for both to sit on the couch and still maintain a comfortable distance. Itachi watched as the doctor balanced her plate in her lap, set the bag of chips between them, and then brought the TV across the room to life with a press of a button. It was quite obviously a well-worn routine for the woman.

Focusing on searching for a good channel, the light red-head easily dismissed the man next to her. She knew he was watching her somewhat more intently than she cared for, but she was hungry and wanted something to brainlessly watch as she inhaled her food. Settling for some random channel showing the local weather forecast, she set the remote control on the arm of the couch and smiled evilly at her prey.

Itachi was pleased with the sandwich contraption Sakura had helped him make. Judging by the rather primal sounds of pleasure she was making, Sakura was very pleased with her sandwich as well. Half way through his meal, the dark-haired man paused to raise an incredulous eyebrow at the woman next to him. She was done with her sandwich and was now using one hand to rub her belly and the other to feed herself chips. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't look away.

"What?" Sakura finally snapped. She glanced over at him and then rolled her eyes at his raised eyebrow. She'd rather watch the weather than deal with that eyebrow, or those eyes of his in general. He would just have to learn to speak like everyone else.

Itachi couldn't decide whether he was more amused or horrified. There was not a single crumb left on her plate.

"Want some chips?" She offered awkwardly, her mouth stuffed with chips, when it was obvious he wasn't going to respond to her previous question. "Quick. Take some before I eat them all."

He was definitely more amused.

"Will my hand return whole?" His inquiry brought the woman up short. Her eyes were on him again, and he could practically see the wheels turning behind her viridian eyes. Suddenly her eyes brightened and she smiled widely.

"Ha! So you do have a sense of humor in there."

He smirked in response.

"But seriously, chip up now or never," she ordered while sticking the bag out toward him.

His hand dipped into the bag and then the calm music playing through the television speakers abruptly turned into an urgent voice. Both Sakura and Itachi looked up.

"We interrupt this program to alert locals of an emergency. The main suspect of a multiple homicide was last seen fleeing the police within Leaf County. If you have seen this man," the news reporter disappeared as a picture of Itachi was shown, "then we ask that you contact the police immediately. Do not approach him, as he is likely to be dangerous and - "

The TV screen went dark with a push of a button, and Sakura released a deep breath. She would now be considered an accomplice if her dealings with this man became public knowledge. Maybe she should just tell him to hit the road now? A quick glance in his direction and she knew she couldn't do that. He looked as exhausted as she felt. Besides, if she didn't bring someone with her to her parents then she'd have to deal with her mother's cold side, and she'd much rather deal with the police than an irked Mama Haruno.

"Well, that's enough of that," she announced with forced cheer.

Itachi's head snapped up; he'd been deep in thought.

"Let's catch a bit of rest."

He hesitated, but then nodded his assent.

They brought their empty plates to the sink and Sakura was pleasantly surprised when Itachi took over cleaning duties. She threw the chip bag away and then set about making a temporary bed out of the couch for Itachi. She had a specific set of bedding for the couch, since her guy friends would stay over sometimes. Once she finished tucking in the sheets and spreading out the comforter, she grabbed one of the several pillows off of her bed and smacked it around a bit before tossing it onto the couch. Itachi made his way over from the kitchen and looked over the couch-turned-bed.

"It'll be a bit of a squeeze, but it'll have to work. Um, I'll be in my room if you need anything," she said and turned to leave.

"Sakura," he called softly and she stopped. "Thank you."

She turned and a sweet smile curled her lips. He was awed to feel his lips twitch in response, and continued to stare at her bedroom door long after she disappeared behind it before settling on to the couch.

He knew that the last thing he should be considering was exactly what he was doing. Sakura was a good person and she didn't deserve to be any more attached to the situation at hand, yet here he was wrapped in a comforter on her couch. His weary body wouldn't be able to take him too far, so he could see the benefits of a little rest before leaving the safety of the light red-head's apartment. However, he had no such way to rationalize going to her parent's house. He was indulging himself with a distraction - as entertaining and attractive as it was - when he needed to be at his most focused.

Rolling onto his uninjured side, his face pressed into the pillow. It smelt of her, and he inhaled deeply without thought.

Itachi closed his eyes, and her scent lulled him to sleep.

Several hours later, Sakura's alarm went off for the third time. When she went to smack the snooze button again she paused, shocked - her apple shaped clock clearly read a quarter past six P.M.

"Shit!"

She jumped out of bed and hastily unlocked her bedroom door. When she stuck her head out to yell at Itachi to get up, she noticed he was already up and folding the bedding. Shutting the door, Sakura leaned against it for a moment while she contemplated what she'd just witnessed. If he truly did murder his parents, which she already didn't believe, then surely he wouldn't have politely washed their dishes or folded the linens. Or be so respectful.

Yes, he did point a gun at her earlier. Definitely not something to be happy about, yet she could see it from his perspective. If she had made that call to the police, then his life would've been a whole hell of a lot harder from then on. She sighed and pushed off of the door.

It took a few minutes to pull on some decent clothes, and then she was out of her room and checking on Itachi.

"Did you sleep well?" She asked as she placed the back of her hand to his forehead.

"Yes."

"Good," she said brightly, and then shoved her hand at him. "Now give me my phone back."

He smirked and she felt the weight of his dark eyes on her face. She had noticed her phone was missing from where she'd tossed it on her bed before she'd taken her nap, but hadn't cared enough at the time to march out and demand it back. Refusing to meet those piercing eyes while she stood so close to the man, Sakura continued her quick check-up after putting her cell phone into her skort's pocket.

"You'll need to change your bandages in a couple days. You can remove the stitches in around ten days or so. Are you familiar with the procedure?"

"Yes."

"Great. Then you should also already know not to strain the injured areas, as there's a definite risk for tearing, since that would only add to the chances of an infection. Which are already high with sutured wounds, of course." She finally met his eyes, wanting her point to be made. "Right?"

"Hn."

"I'm serious. It'll be an inconvenience to take care of your wounds correctly, sure. But you really don't want an infection."

"I'll do my best."

"That's all anyone can ask for." Something in his demeanor changed with her words and she didn't know how to interpret the reaction. Confused, Sakura patted his bare shoulder awkwardly. "All right! Let's see what I can find to dress you."

Itachi followed her hesitantly into her bedroom. He didn't like the idea of wearing someone else's clothing, but wasn't in any shape to argue. He wanted to get out of his blood crusted pants and he didn't even know where Sakura put his shirt. He could only assume she threw it away on the sly, which he couldn't blame her for. The shirt had been in a miserable state.

"These look like they might fit you."

She held up a pair of worn cargo pants and a bright orange T-shirt that he saw read, "Nobody puts Baby in a corner" once he got a good look at it.

"Unacceptable."

"You're going to have to deal with it, Itachi."

"I think not."

"Why are you being so difficult? It's not like they're dirty, and they're definitely better than what you have on now."

The two glared at each other for a moment.

"We don't have time for this," Sakura huffed in annoyance, and assumed the upset-woman stance.

With an indignant sniff, the dark haired man took the clothes into the small bathroom to change.

"Oh, and there are some small towels in the cabinet by the mirror. I suggest using one to freshen up," she called through the door.

Itachi was affronted by the insinuation. He may have been a bit dirty, but he'd never had an issue with his appearance or smell before.

"Just don't get your bandages wet," the woman warned as an afterthought.

He heard her move away from the bathroom door and into what sounded like the kitchen, considering the distinctive noise the soles of her shoes made against the tile floor. Putting aside the comment the light red-head made, Itachi located the towels and did what needed to be done. Fifteen minutes later he was clean, dressed, and very ready for food.

"See, you look just fine."

"Hn."

"No, really." Sakura was barely able to keep her face straight at the sight of such an aristocratic looking man wearing such casual clothing, but she managed for the sake of not being at the business end of a barrel. Again. "Just one more thing. Here," she handed him a plain black beenie, "tuck your hair up into it."

He gave her a dark look.

"What? It's the best disguise I could come up with on such short notice."

He knew they were both risking quite a bit simply by being around each other, and he felt frustrated at his lack of practicality. He should be well away from this town by now. He should have made Sakura work faster so he'd have time to put distance between himself and the murderers who framed him.

"Are you okay?"

The dark eyed man refocused on the woman before him. Her concern was displayed openly on her face.

"You really don't have to come with me," Sakura offered. "It's not like my parents would be surprised if I showed up alone."

There was a pathetic tone to her voice that pulled him in, urged him to take pity on her despite his ultimate priority. Perhaps his father was right about him being a gentle person? He crushed the thought as quickly as it came.

"Let us go." Stepping out of the apartment, Itachi glanced around and saw no one.

Sakura hurriedly locked up before leading the dark-haired man to her bright red Volkswagen new beetle.

"This is what you drive?"

"Don't use that tone in reference to Jerry. He's a good boy."

Itachi simply stared.

"I'm serious," she warned. Her car and she had been through a lot together, including several first experiences. That included owning her first vehicle; it took saving up for a year and a half at her first job (fast food, urg). Never would she forget her first fender bender (with a hot cop), or her first road trip (to the coast after graduating high school), or the first time she'd been kissed (which was against the driver side door with Itachi's younger brother). Hm. Awkward.

The pale man looked into Jerry's window and was shocked to see that the vehicle was absent of fluffy, dangling objects, and also had a manual transmission.

"Your door should be unlocked," she said as she opened her door and settled behind the wheel.

Itachi eyed the vehicle a moment more before finally giving in and joining the light red-head. There was an unexpected amount of leg room inside the car, even after Sakura shoved her purse down by his feet. He'd been prepared for cutesy miscellaneous items to be decorating the vehicle, but besides the scarf tied around the driver's side head rest with Sakura's namesake stitched delicately on it, there was nothing within the Volkswagen that would make him think a female was its owner.

Then the car started and Florence + the Machine blared out of the speakers. The doctor rushed to lower the volume, laughing sheepishly.

"Just remember that my family is crazy, and let me handle it when it gets rough," Sakura reminded her passenger once again as she pulled into her parent's driveway.

Upon seeing her mother walk out onto the small front porch, Sakura added, "you know, just leave the talking to me."

Her mother was practically beaming at Itachi, Sakura noticed. Itachi must have noticed as well, judging by the look of amusement he shot her way.

"All of the talking, got it? Now get out before I decide to drive away."

"Is this him? Oh, wow! What a hotty," Sakura's mother gushed the second the car doors opened.

"Yes," Sakura grimaced and quickly walked around the car to wrap an arm around Itachi tightly. "This is my boyfriend, Steve. He's a doctor too."

"Hit the jackpot, didn't you?"

Itachi glared down at the light red-head, but she blatantly ignored him. Taking a page from her Book of Schemery, Itachi wrapped an arm around her rather tightly as well. Naturally, Sakura's mother was oblivious to the struggle.

"I'm sorry, Steve, my manners must have left me," Sakura's mother said as she made her way down the porch steps. She embraced her daughter along with her daughter's new boyfriend, and then took a step back and smiled brightly at Itachi.

He easily noticed the resemblance between the two women. Sakura's mother had a kind face, one that smiled so freely there were lines to prove it. Her green eyes and red hair were darker shades than her daughters, but the eye shape and hair thickness were nearly identical.

"It's so nice to meet you! You can call me Blanaid, or 'Sakura's Mother' if that's more comfortable for you. It's just been so long... we thought Sakura might not be interested in men anymore."

"Ma! So not cool."

"Well, it's true! Both your father and I were worried about whether or not we'd ever see grandchildren."

"Lesbians can have babies now, Mom."

"Oh, Holy J, Sakura. You know how I feel about that."

"Yeah, and you know how I feel about that too," she countered stubbornly.

Her mother sighed deeply. "All right, let's get a move on. We musn't let dinner get cold."

As Itachi and Sakura followed Blanaid into the house, he found himself wondering if the doctor beside him was truly a lesbian. He was no master at understanding women, but there were a few times where he vividly remembered her responding to him as if she considered him attractive. Perhaps he was mistaken?

"Ignore the freaky dolls," Sakura whispered, bringing him back into the moment. "My mom likes to collect them for some unknown reason."

"It's not unknown," Blanaid defended, leading them through the entrance room and then the living room. "I collect them for the sake of collecting them."

"See, unknown."

Looking around the clean house, Itachi did notice a rather large collection of dolls. The porcelain dolls were set on any and all furniture within the house it seemed. Luckily, the room that Sakura's mother led them to was mostly doll free.

Like all of the house Itachi had seen, the dining room had dark wood floors. The thick dining table matched the floors perfectly, and was already set beautifully for five people. Two of which, were already in their seats.

Sakura immediately introduced her "boyfriend" to her father and her Opa. While her father simply shook his hand, her grandfather crossed his thin arms and gave Itachi a severe look.

"What makes you think you're good enough for my Enkelin, Lady Eyes?"

"Don't speak to our guest like that," Sakura's mother reproved.

"Just look at him! What good is a man with feminine eyes?"

Itachi clenched his jaw and glared at the old man.

"You got something to say to me, girly?"

"Opa, please. Steve's mute."

Itachi's glare immediately left the old man to settle heatedly on Sakura. She valiantly ignored him.

"Oh, dear. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, mom. He's learned to live with it," Sakura said as she made a play at leaning close and kissing Itachi's cheek.

"So this dussel can't even speak?"

"Opa," Sakura gasped, indignant. "You insult me when you insult him."

The balding man grunted and shoveled some potatoes onto his plate, mumbling in German all the while. It was obvious to Itachi that Sakura loved her grandfather and that the old man had a large soft spot for her. He was curious if she always had to defend her dates.

"Sit," Blanaid said brightly. "Please make yourself comfortable, Steve."

"Dinner looks great, Ma. Sorry for being a little late."

"Thank you, sweetheart. And I can forgive you for being late when you have that hunk of a man next to you to enjoy."

Itachi choked on his drink.

Sakura's mother took this as a sign of embarrassment, and reached over to pat the man's shoulder. The dark haired man went to speak, but Sakura spoke quickly before he had fully recovered from his coughing fit.

"There was no enjoying anything. We accidentally slept in is all."

"You don't need to lie to me, honey. Just promise me that you'll use protection, okay?"

The light red head blushed darker than her hair.

"Oh, baby girl. Please tell me you're smarter than that!"

"Shit, Ma! Seriously?"

"Karl," Blanaid said, "tell your daughter to use protection and to watch her language."

"Sakura, use protection. Watch language."

"Father, tell mother to mind her own you-know-what."

"Blanaid, mind yourself."

"Exactly who's side are you on, Karl?"

Sakura's father actually looked up at that. He was a handsome man who carried his age well. Karl shared a meaningful look with Itachi and then went back to eating.

"Useless," Blanaid said, throwing her hands into the air.

"He trusts me, mom. And you should too. I'm a doctor for crying out loud."

"I do trust you, Sakura. I will always worry though."

"Well, stop it."

"I can't. It's my job."

The two women shared their own meaningful look. Itachi was surprised to see them both smile. He had been so sure they were angry at each other.

"Can we focus on the eating part of dinner, now?"

Blanaid laughed, and then everything seemed to shift into calmer grounds. The two women still spoke, but it was mostly gossip about others. Every now and then Karl or Sakura's grandfather would join in.

This kind of family dinner was thought to be fictional to Itachi. His family wasn't necessarily cold to each other, yet compared to the setting he was currently in, his family was beyond taciturn.

After everyone helped clear dinner away, and Blanaid shooed everyone out of "her kitchen," she quickly brought out dessert. Itachi heard the doctor sitting next to him inhale sharply. She truly loved to eat, it seemed.

"Remember this, Steve. Pumpkin cheesecake is her all time favorite."

Sakura was practically vibrating in her seat. As soon as the dish was set onto the table, she was cutting herself a huge slice. Then she was filling a spoon and stuffing it in her mouth. Her eyes closed and she moaned around the spoon.

He kept watching her, mesmerized.

"Would you like a slice, Steve?"

Dark eyes snapped away from Sakura, only to fall on a kind face with a knowing smile. He opened his mouth before stopping and nodding his consent. With a quick glance around the table, Itachi knew he'd been caught ogling the doctor by her entire family.

Wonderful, he thought, shifting awkwardly in his seat.

Luckily, he didn't have to wait much longer before Sakura had annihilated the pie. The goodbyes were sincere, yet short, and soon enough they were on their way back to her apartment.

"The mute, doctor named Steve was the best you could think of?" Itachi asked the second they were safely in her car.

"I'm so sorry! Don't be angry," she pleaded. "That's just what came to me in the heat of the moment."

"I am not angry," he admitted. "Actually, I find myself somewhat impressed."

"Really?" She asked smiling, surprised.

"Yes."

"Well, to be fair, they weren't so bad this time," Sakura admitted.

The dark haired man regarded her with obvious doubt.

"I didn't say they weren't bad."

They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes.

"What exactly is a dussel?"

Sakura laughed.

A/N: Wow, it sure has been a while. Life has been quite eventful, so thanks to those who remain interested in my story despite my horrid updating. Story Alert, for the win. : P
On a side note, after some research and a conversation with a friend in the medical field I've realized how badly I have butchered things for those readers out there who are in the field. And while I have decided to leave the story how it is for now, I really hope that everyone can look past my technical mistakes and enjoy the story behind it all.

Also! Special thanks to those who decided to review: Three sisters productions, Amaya-nights rain, Zero25, CherryKittyKat, and Starsandstuff. I really appreciate it. : )