Hello everyone! I wrote this while taking a break from my more... serious writing, I suppose you could say. It's Itachi/OC fluff in a universe without a Massacre. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Takara is mine, although I'd prefer Itachi. Sadly he and the rest of the Naruto-verse belong to Kishimoto.

1. The two of them are six the first time Itachi bites her.

She deserves it, he tells himself, and maybe being bitten would convince her that she really needs to be a bit more cautious. He'd just started to like this little red-haired spitfire, after all, and he doesn't want her dead before he can see what she'll turn into.

So when he hugs her in an attempt to calm her down (killing that man has set off a memory that's left her blank-eyed and trembling) he also sinks his teeth into the junction of her neck and shoulder, right where her pulse echoes. She makes a very feminine noise and jumps backwards, her hand going to her neck in surprise.

Itachi's pleased to note that she looks much more alive when angry with him. Anko checks the girl's neck and starts laughing hysterically, falling onto her behind. Ibiki-sensei looks at the sky and mutters "why me?" He does this at least once a day and so the other three ignore him.

Eventually Anko shuts up and Takara simply throws the Uchiha heir wary looks for the rest of the day. By bedtime she decides she trusts him enough to crawl into the bedroll with him. He tucks her closer as she sleeps, glad her hatred for cold is stronger than the confusion of him biting her. He'll explain it eventually, but for now he'd rather hold her. She makes for a very good teddy bear.

2. The second time he sinks his teeth into her flesh, they're eight years old.

She's lying in a hospital bed that's much too big for her and it reminds him how very mortal she is.

Ibiki-sensei finally let them take the Chuunin exams, saying that if they weren't ready by now, he'd have to start calling in favors so they could learn from other people. Most of what he knows isn't combat-applicable anyway, but interrogation techniques. On the bright side, the three of them can crack an enemy shinobi in under five minutes. Anko's record is two and a half, Itachi's three and Takara's thirty seconds. They still aren't sure if that had been because she'd threatened to castrate the man, or if he had a bad experience with redheads. The man had simply shrieked like a three year old and said that if she went away he would tell them anything they wanted to know. Ibiki-sensei had smiled afterwards and given her an ice cream cone.

The four of them had joined up with another Konoha team and made the trek to Iwa, all the way being told what not to do. Never be alone, don't insult anyone, don't take any food you haven't seen prepared, ect.

The first exam had been simple. Each team was given a box and told they had to find out what was inside. Then they had to turn in a box, undamaged, along with the details of what was inside, and they could move on. They had one hour. All teams were in the same room.

Takara had been the one to smash open their box, read the clue and then set off a flash bang. In the confusion she swiped a box off an Iwa team and flounced to the doorway. The examiner hadn't been happy, but they'd passed onto the second stage. Itachi had chuckled and tucked her under his arm; Anko had cackled and kissed her head, saying "good imouto!"

Stage two had been harder. Fifty teams left and by the end of the stage there would only be twenty-five at most, likely less. Each team had half a plaque and needed the other half when they reached their goal to successfully complete their 'mission'. They also had to have all of their teammates in fighting condition.

The route was twenty miles, almost straight up. They had to climb a cantankerous mountain in five days in the middle of winter. Itachi was sure the only thing that got Takara through half of it was thoughts of murdering their sensei for not sending them to the summer exams. She deplored the cold. It was why she climbed into his bedroll and had since they were fresh genin and she'd learned he was warm. It was also why none of their fights lasted past bedtime if they were on a mission.

It took them two days to pull it off.

Getting the plaque was actually the easy part; they were near a Suna team and they were doing even worse than Takara. She at least was adequately dressed for the conditions they were in; the Sand nin were in thin long-sleeved shirts. None of them were warm enough to put up a fight and Itachi would have sworn he saw pleasure on their faces when he used a Katon jutsu to break them up. When the fight was over he left them with a fire. The gratitude on their faces ensured they wouldn't be coming after them.

After that, it was most chakra jumping up the mountain, a trick they'd picked up that first winter they'd been together in Haru no Kuni. They halted for night, not wanting to fall off because they couldn't see, and then were back out the next morning.

They beat all but two Iwa teams up.

They were given a room to sleep in and food to eat for the time until the last task. Ibiki-sensei congratulated them on making it up so quickly and then made sure they rested enough and kept out of trouble. Itachi was given Pocky to keep Takara safely occupied while Ibiki focused on Anko. He spent most of the time trying to play chess with her while still managing to keep her tucked into his side. Even in the room they were given it was cold, although not as bad as it was outside. Luckily, they were able to request extra blankets. One memorable morning, Ibiki had brought out the Scrabble and it was a four-way duel. Takara and Anko lost to the boys, Takara because most of the words she knew she couldn't spell (or weren't in the right language), Anko because she used the objective 'make the dirtiest words you can' rather than the proper one. Ibiki ended up winning the game by three points.

After the second exam ended, Team Ibiki stood with the others that had passed inside an arena. Due to six teams passing, they needed to have preliminary one-on-one matches.

Itachi had gotten a pretty-girl kunoichi from Ame who didn't take him seriously and ended up in a genjutsu before she could move.

Anko went up against a boy from Kumo twice her size and beat him soundly when she let a snake bite his privates. He was quick to give up after that.

Takara ended up in front of a hulking genin about twenty that literally tried to crush her. Itachi spent her match gripping the railing so tightly he left imprints of his hands on it and Ibiki spent it muttering about how he hoped he wouldn't have to try to subdue the Uchiha if anything happened to the little red-head.

The little kunoichi managed to keep her best friend from going crazy by winning the match the way she'd been taught by her nee-chan. She told the man that if he didn't give in, she'd castrate him. When he laughed, she used a bunshin-kunai trick Anko had taught her to cut off his dick. He gave in after that, crying like a baby. When she reached her teammates, Anko hugged her, ruffled her hair and said "You're such a good little girl." Takara glared and fixed her hair, then let her sensei nod and hand her a cup of hot chocolate. Itachi simply nodded at her and then made her stand between him and Ibiki. Later that night he whispered "thank you," and she nuzzled his neck before slipping back into sleep.

The next month of training went well, and then the day of the chuunin exam finals came around. And promptly went to hell.

The first match was a three-way due to the uneven number of participants. Anko was one and ended up winning by letting her opponents knock each other out. Itachi was in the second match against an Iwa genin, which he won using genjutsu. The third match was an Iwa genin against another Iwa genin. It was brutal, one of them nearly killing the other before the proctor ended the match. It didn't help Itachi's nerves that Takara would face him in the next round.

He, of course, was assuming that she would win her match. He assumed correctly. Like her teammates, Takara took on her opponent, a genin from Kiri and had no problems. The girl was a genjutsu mistress, which for Takara meant 'treat her like you would Itachi.' So basically, weapons until close enough for taijutsu and then a debilitating kick to the solar plexus, ending with a neck chop. On Itachi, it didn't work so well. On the Kiri kunoichi, it was simple.

The first round was deceptively easy, because it was the second round where things went down the toilet. Itachi and Anko were against each other, which meant Takara had to take on the Iwa genin. Itachi and Anko spent the better part of half an hour running around trying to beat each other. It ended up in Itachi's favor when he ensnared Anko in a complex genjutsu that knocked her out.

Takara's match was next and her sensei made sure he could stop Itachi from doing anything if something happened. The boy might be tired from fighting his other teammate, but that would be enough to stop him if things when wrong.

Takara's match was an hour long and nearly resulted in her death. It was Ibiki and Itachi's worst nightmares come true.

Her opponent was over six feet tall, a hulk of muscle. Takara was tiny, only a little over four feet, but she was fast and that saved her. It angered her opponent that she could dodge him, get away from anything and everything he threw at her. Yet at the same time, she was doing little things that hindered him, a cut to his arm there, a solid impact with his leg here, ect. Eventually, he got fed up with the eight year old and used a clan jutsu.

A fire-based suicide jutsu exploded his body as a bomb. The larger the person, the larger the flames. He had been over 250 lbs.

Takara nearly died. What saved her from being burned to a crisp was a wind/water shield that kept the flames away. It didn't save her from the concussive blast that tossed her into a wall, leaving her with a set of cracked ribs and a concussion in addition to the injuries from her fight. He had hit her, just not often and not with much more than a kunai that gave her a graze.

The last match was between her and Itachi. Takara never even left the arena floor, just waited for her best friend to join her. If she hadn't immediately attacked him when the proctor called 'hajime,' he would have given up.

She'd fought him just long enough that it looked good and then let him pin her, a kunai to her throat. She gave in and smiled at him. He was happy for two seconds, then terrified when she passed out into his arms.

She'd ended up in front of him in a hospital bed. She wasn't supposed to be there, not looking so broken and fragile, covered in white. She was happy, hyperactive and strong. Not silent and still. Not looking like a breeze would shatter her small form. He had barely left her side since she was admitted, the hospital staff learning to move around him. He couldn't leave her. He wouldn't.

When she wakes up, he is almost nodding off. "Ita-chi-kun?" she coughs and he's instantly alert. He pours her water quickly, helps her sit up enough to drink it.

"How do you feel, Kara-hime?"

"Sore," she responds, reaching for him. He takes the cup away, setting it aside and then crawling into the bed with her. Her ribs are better, have healed with the medics' help. He wraps himself around her, kissing her head.

"Did we make it?" Takara asks him.

"We'll find out when we get back to Konoha," he tells her, then shifts in the bed. Before she can figure it out, his lips are against her pulse point, separating and letting his teeth sink into her flesh. She whimpers quietly as he marks her and then stares her in the face.

"You are not allowed to scare me like that again, Takara."

"I probably will anyway," she tells him, tugging at him. He behaves himself and lets her tuck herself into his arms properly.

"Good night, Itachi-kun."

"Good night, Kara-hime."

3. The third time he bites her they're twelve and he's sure she'd dead.

Going up against S-ranked nin isn't the best idea the two of them have ever had, but in this case they'd had no choice.

Their client had lied about why he needed protection; it wasn't because he was hauling valuable merchandise, but because his daughter had started taking up with a yakuza boss. They weren't going to Tanzaku Gai to trade goods but to start a new life.

The yakuza had then hired the missing nin to go after them.

Now their team is gone and it's only the two of them left. Their clients are huddled in their cart and the two of them are running low on energy.

Then she takes a blow meant for him and he's certain that she's dead the moment she hits a tree, cracking it with a loud sound. Instantly he knows it's his fault, all his fault and he is angry, angrier than he's ever been.

He feels his eyes burn and then a voice in the back of his mind whispers "Amaterasu."

The men are gone in black flames instantly.

When he is sure they are gone he is beside Takara's still form in a flash. He moves her body so it is lying down, and then kneels over her, tears in his eyes. She cannot be dead. If she is dead then he has no reason to live. He loves her, he loves her deeply. Without her, life is nothing.

Itachi leans forward, burying his face in her neck and biting harshly. She wasn't supposed to leave him, not ever.

He jumps when that makes her moan and mumble "Ita-kun."

From there he is too distracted with taking care of her and getting the client to their destination. She isn't anywhere near as badly hurt as it had looked and tells him that she'll hurt him if he ruins their record of perfect missions. He still keeps her from doing anything but sit and look pretty.

It isn't until they get home he realizes he has an upgrade to his Sharingun.

4. The fourth time he bites her they're fourteen and he's proving she is his.

Most people have realized this already and treat Takara affectionately, like she's a younger sister, or tentatively, because they're scared as hell of her.

A few though, haven't gotten the message and try coming on to her. Their smarter friends stop most before they can do anything stupid, usually. A few though, a few actually ask her out. Normally, she says no.

One day, she says yes.

Had Itachi been there when she was asked, she might not have agreed to the guy's offer of a date. He usually glares at the few who try so they either piss themselves before they can ask or they stutter so much she discards them. Takara has a thing for strong, possessive, commanding, men. Weak stutterers do little to intrigue her.

This one gets her when she's with Yuugao, talking about swords. He comments on her blade, then asks her to dinner and a movie. He's smooth, with enough confidence in his voice to interest her. He's also the first guy who's actually managed to ask her out without looking like a fool. She agrees.

Yuugao leaves Takara talking to Anko and moves quickly to where she knows Itachi is, catching him just as he gets out of a meeting. She tells him quickly what just happened, before he learns from Takara. Seeing as his KI spikes to such a level that she wants to kill herself, she knows that was a good idea. With her telling him, he gets the anger out before he can piss off Takara. She leaves him with a "good luck."

The night of her date, Itachi shows up at her apartment twenty minutes earlier than her date should. Takara looks good, her hair pinned away from her face, her body clothed in black jeans and a loose blue shirt. One low enough that her pulse point is showing, but not so low that her small amount of cleavage shows. When the idiot knocks on the door, Itachi grabs her, spinning her toward him and biting his spot. He leaves a highly visible mark and then opens the door, letting her leave and not giving her time to hide the mark. The glare he gives the boy says everything.

Takara returns later that night, irritated with the idiot who couldn't seem to look her in the eyes all night. She'd slapped him before dinner was over for staring at her 'chest' and left him in the restaurant.

Itachi doesn't kill the man because he's firmly aware he wasn't looking at her chest, but at the mark Itachi had placed to claim her. He spends the night with her curled against him, watching her favorite movie on the small TV in her apartment.

She doesn't question why Itachi was still in her apartment.

5. The fifth time he bites her they're fifteen and she's about to do something very, very stupid.

Not that she has much of a choice. Once again, it's the two of them against a lot of highly trained shinobi and this time they're pinned down. The two of them had a team, but the two rookies paired with them got killed quickly when they failed to listen to the younger (but stronger and smarter) two. This is why Itachi and Takara normally refuse to deal with rookies. They just don't listen.

Listening is important, especially when everything goes to shit and their Intel was wrong. This should have been a fairly easy assassination mission, now it's a 'kill all the people who saw us before Konoha gets in trouble' mission.

The mission report would put all the blame on the newbies who had gotten themselves killed, assuming Takara and Itachi last long enough to get back to Konoha and write it.

At the moment they're pinned down, being fired upon and in large amounts of trouble. Jutsus are out because neither of them wants to bring the roof down on their heads and they need to conserve chakra. They have quite a long run after this.

Takara, like always, has a plan. One that involves her risking herself as the distraction to give him a chance to take the heavy hitters out. If they can do that, then they can cut through the cannon fodder and get out of here.

She's just managed to convince him that this is a good idea and that it has to be her, otherwise "who will make them kill themselves with supersneaky genjutsu?"

So he does what has become his go to option for dealing with her risking her life. He reaches for her, knowing that they're shielded and she lets him hug her, taking strength from the hug. Then he bites her, hard and is rewarded with a shudder and a whimper as he marks her neck. It's dark, making it hard for him to see, so he can't tell her expression when she pulls away from him and runs out into the open, drawing fire.

He targets them and they go down, never knowing what hits them. Takara starts carving through the chuunin and he joins her, keeping her back protected. When everyone else is dead, he feels her lean back against him and chuckle.

The two of them disappear into the night, bodies and blood in their wake.

+1. The first time Takara bites him they're sixteen.

The club is noisy and full, teeming with hot bodies. Some of their ANBU friends have dragged them here for 'fun.' Takara goes to the bathroom to freshen up- and to give her ears a break from the noise.

When she steps out, Yuugao behind her, she scans the room for her best friend and the rest of the company. Itachi was supposed to be getting her a drink, something fun but without a lot of alcohol.

She spots him near the bar and growls unconsciously. He's got their drinks in his hand, but a girl in front of him, skimming her hand over his body possessively.

Takara stalks through the crowd, people getting out of her way. Not many are willing to stay near the petite red-head who looks ready to kill.

When she reaches her destination, she smiles sweetly, says "excuse me," and then tugs Itachi toward her, glad the heels make sinking her teeth into his pulse point easier. She feels the drinks he just dropped splatter against her legs but she really doesn't care as his arms go around her. She pulls back just enough she can look at him.

He's smirking, "took you long enough."

"Shut up," she replies, tugging him down to kiss her. He responds gladly as she shudders against him, her body heating up and melting under his touch. His hands run up and down her back, possessing, exploring. When neither of them can breathe, he releases her lips but tugs her body closer, kissing the top of her head.

She goes back to marking him and they both ignore the catcalls.

Review! Flames will be used to cook marshmallows.