An act of Benevolence, a naruto fanfic

Happy Holidays I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays as well as a good New Year.

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to their respected owners. I own nothing but the plot.

An Act of Benevolence

Snow danced to the ground coving the sidewalk in a soft white blanket. A pink haired young woman was bustling down the sidewalk, her black coat elegantly flowing behind her. People scurried up and down like mice, in a hurry to make it home in time for Christmas Eve dinner to be with their families and friends. A little boy with long blonde hair danced frantically in front of random people, asking for pennies and nickels.

"Please sir! Can you spare a nickel yeah? I just ne-" The man ignored the little boy, by passing him without a fleeting glance. The little boy hung his head defeated and crouched by the side of a small flower shop. He hugged his knees close, burying his face to hide the tears.

The pink haired young woman puffed a breath of cold air and fixed the hat on her head, her hands were filled with last minute Christmas shopping bags and boxes. The little boy let out a soft sob which caught her attention and she tilted her head to the side in confusion as she stopped directly in front of the little boy.

'He'll freeze to death in those clothes.' She noted. He was clad in a simple jacket that was threadbare and tatty, his pants had various holes in them and his shoes were tattered and worn. 'Poor kid…why isn't he home? Is he homeless?' The little boy didn't look up, but huddled closer and let out a hitched breath when the wind blew. 'Well he's not my responsibility.' She took a step forward only to stop once again and take in her surroundings.

People were hustling down the sidewalk, cars were honking, and shopping bags swayed every which way dancing on the arms of different people. No one glanced at the little boy on the ground. No one tossed him their spare change, not even a nickel. She glanced back down at the little boy shuddering from the cold air just in time to see a man accidentally walk into his small form on the ground.

"Oh! Sorry kid. Didn't see you down there." The man muttered then continued on his way, not even checking to see if he harmed the little boy.

'I can't leave him like that…' The pink haired young woman walked over to the little boy curled into a ball and got down to his level.

"Hello." She greeted.

The little boy stared up into her vibrant green orbs, shock evident in his crystal blue eyes. "H-hi Miss'm…"

'What an odd accent…his eyes are beautiful though…' She tilted her head to the side and gave the little boy a gentle smile. "My name is Sakura. What's yours?"

The little boy sniffed, a blush covering his cheeks. He brushed his long bangs that were covering the left side of his face to the side and gave a shy smile. "My name is Deidara."

Sakura smiled a tinge of pink appearing on her cheeks. "Deidara, would you mind if you and I had a bite to eat together?"

Deidara stared up at her in wonder. "D-do you mean that Miss?" Sakura nodded and stood up, shifting a bit at the weight of the bags. "Then let me help you yeah." Deidara grabbed all the bags in her left hand.

"Oh, why thank you. Here this way, I know a great little café not far from here." The two walked side by side down the sidewalk. 'He can't be older than fourteen…so what's he doing out on the street? What happened?' She pulled up the left arm of her coat to glanced at her wrist watch to check the time, five-fourteen pm. 'Ah, it's getting a bit late…oh well Naruto and Sasuke will just have to wait.'

"Miss?" Deidara asked shyly, keeping his eyes glued to the ground. "Why are you being so kind yeah?"

Sakura puffed a breath of cold air, blowing a few strands of her fringes out of her eyes. "Because it's cruel to leave a child out in such harsh times…don't think of this as simple charity because it's the holidays." She blew at the fringes in her green effervescent green eyes again. "I'm doing this because I can; I want to. How old are you?"

Deidara blushed and glanced at Sakura, knowing that he would be met with disbelief. "Nineteen."

Sakura stared at him. 'Whoa…he doesn't look nineteen! At all! Which means…he's only a few years younger than me…holy crap! ' Quickly she adverted her eyes, not wanting the think of how privileged she was while he was out living on the street. "Here we are." She nodded at a café; the two stepped inside and immediately Deidara felt out of place. The air smelt of expensive coffee, the people inside reeked of lavish lifestyles; some were on Macintosh laptops others with various other portable devices. "Come on Deidara." Sakura called from her place at a booth near a window. A placid smile was on her face as she beckoned him with her hand.

He took a seat opposite her, his eyes downcast.

"So would you please tell me why you were outside all by your lonesome?" Sakura began her questioning.

Deidara slowly raised his eyes to look at the young woman seated across from him. She had taken off her coat and was now dressed in a black, tight fitted, high collar dress that went down to her knees. It looked expensive with all of the acute detail of bows, laces, even the hat she wore matched exactly to the dress; an elegant bow sat on the side, its edges hanging off, falling in front of her left eye.

"Why?" He asked suspiciously.

"Oh, sorry. Do you not want to talk about it?" A look of worry flashed though her eyes.

"No'mn, go ahead. I…I needed money…" Sakura nodded, leaning forward a bit to hear his low voice. "To buy clay…and flowers…" A waitress came up to the table to take their orders.

"Oh, I'll have some coffee and a slice of strawberry shortcake. What about you Deidara?" Sakura turned to face him.

Deidara stared blankly down at the table, ashamed and confused and not at all willing to ask for anything.

Sakura a sad smile and placed a soft hand atop one of his dirty, scabbed, cold hands. "It's okay. I'm paying…how about some coffee? Tea? A parfait?"

Deidara blushed and nodded. "Tea would be fine."

Sakura frowned at him then turned to the waitress. "Add a slice of strawberry shortcake for him as well as a croissant. That would be all." She dismissed the waitress with a smile.

Deidara stared wide-eyed at the young woman in front of him. She had pulled her hand back and was now fixing her long pink hair, smoothing down the sides. "Miss'm…"

"Sakura. Call me Sakura. So why do you need clay and flowers?" Sakura stared directly into his crystal blue eyes, her green orbs mesmerizing.

"For…for my mother…she died around this time of year and every year I buy and make flowers for her grave."

Sakura bit her lip at his explanation, tears burning the back of her eyes as she tried not to burst into tears at his simple story.

"My mother…" He began, staring down at his bruised, scarred hands. "She died when I was really young…every year I do it…but this year is hard…as I get older, people don't…" He trailed off, his voice breaking.

'What a sad story…I can't even begin to fathom the struggles that he must of went through…he looks younger than he really is but…' She reached inside her purse and pulled out a handkerchief to hand it to the young man in front of her. "Hey," She carefully wiped the tears in her eyes away with the edge of her finger, careful not to smudge her makeup. "How about when we're done eating we go buy those flowers and clay for your mother?"

Deidara stopped wiping his eyes to stare at her shocked. "No…no it's okay. You've done more than enough for me Miss'm-Sakura." He self-corrected.

Sakura shook her head, a smile appearing on her fac. "Nonsense. We'll go get them." The waitress appeared then, carrying their food. She placed the coffee, strawberry shortcake in front of Sakura and tea, shortcake and croissant in front of Deidara, pointedly ignoring his scruffiness. "Thank you." Sakura nodded at the waitress then smiled at Deidara. "Go ahead, dig in."

Deidara blushed and took a bite of the strawberry shortcake. His eyes lit up, a smile creped onto his face, enjoying the slice. 'Good. I hoped he would like it.' Sakura took a piece of her strawberry short cake. 'It does taste good! I was worried due to the holiday rush that this wouldn't have been done right but this is great!'

Deidara glanced up at the woman currently licking frosting off her pink lips, looking like she was at home and not in public. 'Sakura…' A blush appeared on his cheeks. 'You're being so kind to me…why? I know this is charity, no matter what you say this is charity. Why? What do you stand to gain from showing me your kindness? Good karma yeah?' He took a bite of the croissant and watched the wind blew outside the glass window they were sitting beside, sending snow flurries blowing every where. His eyes followed various snow flakes falling, dancing to the ground only to stick against someone or something. 'What am I going to do after this? The snow is falling heavier…the wind is blowing harder…I will never survive this night and even if I do I'll probably get hyperthermia or something…I can't afford to go to the doctors or hospital-' He sneezed just then. He heard Sakura laugh, a blush covering his face. She smiled a gentle smile then gazed out the window. 'But I can't depend on her kindness…why should she even think of helping me more than she already has?'

Soon they finished eating and were back to walking in the snow heading to the flower shop Sakura originally found Deidara at. "So, this is where you would like to buy the flowers?" The pink haired young woman asked before she opened the door.

"Yeah…" Deidara rushed ahead of her to hold open the door for her.

"Thank you." She smiled.

They stepped inside to see many different flowers surrounding the inside of the small shop. An elderly man was seated at the counter, a smile on his face. "Merry Christmas my good people. Hello sonny, I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to come inside." The elderly man smiled at the young blonde boy.

Sakura smile turned strained as she looked at the man behind the counter. 'You mean to tell me that this old bag of bones knew Deidara was outside trying to get enough money to buy flowers and he didn't even try and help?!' She watched as Deidara made his way around the shop, carefully selecting blue and white roses.

'This ones good…so is this…ah! That one the roots broken…' Deidara blushed as he walked up to Sakura, the roses in his hand.

"Is that all?" She asked gently, knowing full well that this was just as strange for him as it is for her. He nodded, eyes downcast. "Okay, sir this will be all."

"Okay…that comes to…twenty dollars." The man smiled at Sakura then nodded at Deidara. "You have impeccable taste young man. These are all beautiful…perfect in fact."

Inwardly Sakura rolled her eyes at the man. 'Oh sure NOW you take interest in the poor guy.' She pulled out a crisp twenty dollar bill and placed it on the counter top.

"Thank you ma'am."

Sakura nodded; her hands filled with the roses while Deidara held all of her shopping bags. "Okay…so next is the art store right? That's where you'll get the clay you need?" She asked as they left the flower shop.

"No, this is more than fine; you've already done so much for me-"

"Hey! There's one now!" She pointedly ignored the blonde and crossed the street to stand in front of an art store. "Aren't you coming? If you leave me to buy them alone I might get the wrong thing." She sung, her voice ringing out across the street.

Deidara stared at the young pink haired, green eyed woman standing in front of the art store, completely baffled by her obvious intention of helping him. Nevertheless he crossed the street and opened the door for Sakura to walk though.

Sakura entered the store; a slight tinge of pink on her nose and cheeks from the cold wind. She stepped the side and followed after Deidara then followed as he walked down several aisles, a blush permanently attached to his face. 'Aw…he's so adorable!' He stopped in front of a shelf full of clay then reached a hand forward to pick up a pack of blue clay then turned to face her.

"Uhm…that's not all is it?" She questioned. "I'm pretty sure you need more than just one pack of blue clay…" Sakura pointed at shelf. "Pick up all you need. I don't mind at all. It's not like I do this everyday you know." A playful smirk found its way onto her lips.

Deidara reached a nervous hand out to the shelf to grab up two more packs of blue clay always with three black and one pink pack of clay. "This is good yeah…" Sakura smiled, turned around and proceeded to the check out counter, Deidara trailing behind.

Quickly she cashed his items and collected the bag. "Come one Deidara. Let's go." Sakura snapped him out of his thoughts as she walked past him, flowers and the bag full of clay in her arms. "My condo is nice, warm, roomy…it's beautiful. You'll love it." She talked over her shoulder as they walked out the store and down the sidewalk. "What do you say?" Her eyes scanned his form, taking note of his clothing. "Oh right…clothing…what would you like to wear? Wait. I'm being presumptuous again. First off, would you like to come home with me?"

Deidara gaped at the green eyed young woman in front of him. "Are you kidding?" He asked voice devoid of any emotion.

"I'm not kidding. Would you like to? I can help you, you know. With whatever it is that happened in your past that has led to that unfortunate happening. If you killed someone, ran away from home, got kicked out, was abused; whatever the matter I'd like to help if you'll let me." She turned down a corner that led to a series of large condos that stood apart from one another and walked up that path to a condo on the right side; it was covered in white snow, much like everything else. A small path was cleared for them to walk on; cream curtains hung in the window, a holly hung on the door, garland graced the rot iron gate and brick entrance way that led up to the front door.

Deidara slowly walked up the path, closing the gate behind him. 'She lives here yeah? Who the hell is this lady? She's beyond rich…' He glanced behind him to see a guard patrolling the area; checking each individual condo for trespassers.

"Deidara, hurry up wont you? It's cold out." Sakura called from her place at the front door. She had already unlocked it and was holding it open for him.

Deidara nodded dumbly and darted up the path to the open door. "Thanks." He mumbled as he stepped inside, locking the door behind him.

"You can take off your shoes and leave them right there." Sakura called over her shoulder as she walked down a hall. "I'll be in the kitchen; just follow the hallway past the living room."

Deidara grunted in reply; his gaze locked on her black boots as he took off his tattered, worn, ripped Vans. '…Even her shoes are expensive…' He slowly stepped into the living room; taking in everything he saw. There were two huge sofas and a low coffee table, a plasma TV was mounted onto the wall and black and blue roses were strategically placed throughout the room. Carefully as to not break anything he walked down the hallway to see Sakura unpacking the bags.

"Let me help." He reached foreword to grab a bag.

"Nope." She lightly slapped his hand. "You go take a nice long bath or shower. What ever you like." Sakura turned to point at a closet door. "You can grab a towel in there." Her green eyes glanced at his frame as she pulled a white box out from one of the bags. "Or two." A smile danced on her lips as she walked past him and tugged on a lock of his long blonde hair. "Over there." A long manicured finger pointed at a door near the hallway. "Is the bathroom."

Deidara blushed and nodded. "Okay…thank you yeah."

"Mhm…" Sakura smiled as she unpacked her many bags filled with various objects.

Deidara grabbed two black towels from the closet she pointed out then headed into the bathroom. He clicked on the bathroom lights then locked the door behind him. '…Even the bathroom…I should have known…'

The bathroom was huge and bright, the walls were painted stark white with a black and white rose border along the edges, black and white rose petals graced the counter top next to white and black lavender scented candles. He hung the two towels up on the hook then began to undress; slowly making his way to the shower and bathtub at the opposite end of the room. 'Strawberries? Cherries…? Is that the scent?' His crystal blue eyes fell upon the bathtub. 'Shower…or bath…should I? She said I could…but…should I? When next will an opportunity like this come knocking?' Various thoughts ran though his head as he peeled off his shirt to revel his tan, scarred chest. He slowly unbuttoned his pants; debating whether or not to take a shower or bath. '…Bath yeah bath…'

He dropped his pants next to his shirt and other filthy clothes then turned on the bath to let the tub fill. His crystal blue eyes scanned the bathroom for the solution to pour into the bath, his gaze landed on a light purple bottle on a small shelf. The bottle read bubble bath, he quirked an eyebrow but shrugged. 'This is a woman after all.' He poured some bubble bath into the tub then turned on the shower to quickly rinse off some of the scum caked to his skin from living on the street.

Quickly stepped out of his boxers then hopped into the warm shower, letting the tepid water rush over his filthy skin. "…Good decision yeah…good decision…" The water splashed into his blonde hair then ran down his face and chest, washing away some of the dirt. He grabbed a bottle of shampoo then squeezed it into the palm of his scarred hand; the mixture was a whitish purplish color with a scent of lavender surrounding it. '…She sure likes lavender...and strawberries…cherries too yeah…'

OOO

Sakura took a deep breath then walked to her room, leaving the unpacked objects scattered about the kitchen and table. As her bedroom door opened, the smell of lavender wafted though the air, quickly she stepped inside and clicked on the light as she began to strip off her clothing. 'Darn! I need to get him some clothing…should have thought of that when we were out…'

Distracted her clothing lay forgotten on the ground as she rummaged though her bureau for her pajamas, catching a whiff of her lavender scented skin. 'I smell good…' A slight tinge of pink dusted her cheeks before she pulled out a black and pink bundle out of the bureau then stood up. A small smile found its way upon her lips before she opened the bundle, and put it on.

"Ohhhhh so soft and comfortable…" She mumbled; burying her face in the sleeve as she strode over to the full length mirror to look at her reflection that brought a smile to her face. She wore a black tank top with a pink and black hoodie over it and black and pink short shorts. Her green eyes flickered over to her black bedroom boots at the side of the bed; she picked them up and put them on.

"Okay…he needs clothes." Her voice was soft and quiet, not wanting to disturb the silence. 'Good thing Naruto and Sasuke leave clothes here…oh right…I should call them…' She pulled the hoodie over her head then left her room, cell phone in hand.

She hit speed dial on her touch screen phone and waited for the person to answer. Meanwhile, she opened another bedroom door, this one smelled of men's cologne.

"Hello?" A male's voice sounded though the phone. "Sakura?"

"Hey Sasuke."

"You're late."

"Nice to talk to you too." A teasing smile danced on her lips as she flipped on the bedroom light and began to rummage though the bureau and closet, looking for clothing that would fit Deidara.

"Why are you late? Is something wrong? Are you almost here?"

"No…that's why I called-"

"HI SAKURA! ARE YOU HERE YET?!" Another male's voice echoed though the phone.

"Ouch! O-hey Naruto." Sakura held her phone away from her ear as she spoke.

"HEYYYY! SO YOU HERE YET?!" Grumbling was heard on the other end before someone yelped in pain.

"Dobe, if she was here you'd see her wouldn't you?"

"Hey-"

"Not if she was at the door or stuck in the driveway!"

"Hey you guys-"

"Would you go away and let me talk to her?"

"No!"

"Will you two kindly shut your mouths so I can talk?" Her voice was ice as she spoke; it was bad enough she had to deal with this at the office they could at least lay off the bickering at home.

"…Sorry Sakura…" The two men chimed together.

"As I was saying; I won't be able to make it over today."

"Why?" Sasuke asked, disappointment seeping into his voice.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

"Later okay? Right now I need to know if you mind me using your clothes."

"…Why…?"

"This guy is going to be staying with me; trouble is he doesn't have any clothes to wear so I thought-"

"Are you telling me there's some naked guy in your home right now and you want to give him my clothes to wear?"

"….No! He's not naked! Sasu-"

"What? That's exactly what you're telling me!"

Sakura ran her fingers though her long hair and heaved an exasperated sigh. "Can I?"

"….E-mail me later and explain everything."

"Thanks Sasuke I will. You're amazing."

"I know. Bye, don't forget."

A small smile danced on her lips before she slipped her cell into her back pocket and began rummaging though the closet to find Deidara a pair shirt and pants. 'Okay…he's not that big…so some of Sasuke's shirts and pants should fit…' Her hand landed on a slim fit, long sleeved, black shirt. 'This should fit…' She smiled and draped the shirt over her arm then continued looking for pants. 'He's so skinny…Ah!' She pulled a pair of black and white pajama pants out and held it up. 'I should…uhh boxers…I know Sasuke has some new ones around here…' Her eyes landed on a bag in the bottom corner of the closet.

"Bin-go!" Crinkling of the bag resounded off the walls as she re-closed the bag with a few pairs of packaged boxer shorts in her arms. 'I never knew he kept so many things here…makes me wonder what Naruto has laying around here.' The bedroom door clicked as she shut it behind her. 'Actually no…I don't want to know what he has left here…'

Her knuckles rapped on the bathroom door then her voice echoed though. "Deidara? I have some clothes that I think will fit you…"

"Yeah?" Splashing was heard on the other side of the door.

"Wait! I'll just leave it on the bathroom counter!" She turned the door handle and closed her eyes. "I'm not looking…" She sang as the door opened and she felt around for the counter top.

"Uh…okay yeah…" His voice was uneasy.

Sakura blushed heavily as she entered the steamy bathroom to leave the clothes on the counter. "Okay…uhm…yeah…bye…" She mumbled uneasily then backed out the door.

"Yeah…thanks …" His eyes followed as she shut the door behind her nervous form. '…That was awkward….' He ran his long fingers though his long, wet, blonde hair. 'Real awkward un…' Steam clouded his vision as he shifted in the bathtub, sending bubbles into the air.

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief as the bathroom door shut behind her shaky form. 'This is going to take some getting used to…' She leaned against the closed door and blew at some strands of hair in her face. 'I suppose I should make some dinner?' She nodded then made her way into the kitchen to rummage though the fridge. 'Though I'm not sure what…usually Naruto and Sasuke are the ones that do the cooking…it's been awhile since I did…is this even good anymore?' She eyed a bottle of mayo that was an off cream and brown color with distaste. "Yeah…not too sure if that's…good to eat…" Her nervous voice echoed though the semi-quiet house.

Soon the water stopped running and movements were heard from the bathroom. 'Guess he's done.' The sounds of his changing echoed though the door then the door opened to reveal a completely clean, flushed young man with long blonde hair loose and crystal blue sparkling eyes.

"H-Hey Sakura."

"Oh! Hi!" Sakura called from her spot in front of the refrigerator. "I hope you enjoyed your bath?"

"Yeah I did un…" He strode over to her form and dried his long blonde hair with a towel. "Thanks again Miss…"

"No problem! So I see the clothes fit perfectly…" She smiled and eyed him. "It's a good thing too…can't believe I let that slip my mind."

Deidara stared at the young woman before him and shook his head. 'Unbelievable yeah...this woman…she's something else…not only has she taken me in without knowing a thing about me yeah…she just keeps giving me stuff…where did these clothes come from anyway? They're men's…shit…she's married isn't she…has to be…'

"What are you doing?" He asked politely to stop the train of thought.

Sakura blushed slightly at the close proximity and at how good he smelled. "Uhm…I'm trying to figure out what to make for dinner…"

"Oh….then why were you staring at the bottle of mayonnaise?"

"…I don't know if it's still good or not…" She admitted shyly, a blush spreading heavily on her cheeks.

"It's not. I could cook." He offered happily.

"Oh no I couldn't possibly-"

"You took me in, and gave me a more than I could possibly want un…let me cook dinner for you yeah." Deidara wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her away from the fridge. "This is the least I can do; let me do it."

"Oh…well…okay…" She blushed and moved out of his way. 'I guess…I'll go e-mail Sasuke explaining what's going on then…'

He bustled around the kitchen, quickly getting a feel of it and locating all the items he'll need.

"Well...I'll be in my room then…call me if you need anything…"

"Okay."

Sakura paused at the doorway and turned to look over her should. "So…what are you planning on making?" Her eye brows furred in curiosity as she watched him move around her kitchen without a problem.

"That," He laid out some spices he found on the counter then turned his head to grin at her over his shoulder. "Is a surprise."

Sakura laughed before turning away from the kitchen and walked down a hallway. She bit her lip as a smile crawled its way onto her face and made her way down the short hallway and passed the mini library into her bedroom. Immediately she grabbed her laptop from her desk and sat on the middle of her king sized bed then booted up the laptop. Seconds later she was typing up the e-mail.

Hey Sasuke.

Sorry I couldn't make it today (apologize to Naruto again for me?); but you see I met this guy named Deidara on my way home today. At first I thought he was a little homeless boy but turns out he is actually nineteen years old though he looks like he's fourteen; he's one year younger than me.

So you know me, I decided to have a bite to eat with him and hear his story. It seems as though he has had a pretty hard life and every year it just gets harder. Deidara seem's like a really nice guy despite the troubles he went though. At the café he really didn't want to order anything, I ended up ordering some stuff that I hoped he'd like. Then I took him shopping for a few things that he needed and I decided to take him in; let him live with me.

Not for free of course, I'll talk to him about getting a job. Maybe one in our company? He's not stupid in fact he's quite intelligent; it's just that fate dealt him a bad hand. Now I'm not asking for you to help me or anything of the sort; though it would be nice if you supported me in this decision.

Thanks Sasuke.

-Sakura

P.S Tell Naruto about all of this for me?

Sakura sat back on her bed and re-read the e-mail. 'That seems like enough….no need to document every detail that has happened.' She leaned forward and clicked the send button and watched as the e-mail disappeared on her screen and flew into the vast world of the internet. 'That's done…now what?' She listened intently at the sounds coming from her kitchen; trying to decipher what was going on. Low humming and light footsteps traveled down the hallway and into her room. 'That's cute he's humming which means he feels comfortable here.' She closed her laptop then walked out her bedroom door and crept down the hallway and into the kitchen.

A smile found its way upon her lips at the sight she saw; Deidara was leaning over a pot on the stove, testing the food inside. His face was relaxed and a hint of a smile rested on his lips. Sakura nodded absently and leaned against the wall, observing him. She noted that he was definitely slimmer than Sasuke; the clothes hung loosely on his slight frame. Her eyes followed up his bare arms as he pushed up the long sleeves to his elbows and the bones protruded though his skin. Sadness overtook her features as her eyes traveled down the blonde's unhealthy body.

"Are you just going to keep staring at me?" Deidara grinned at her from over his shoulder. "I told you, I'm cooking. Don't you have something more important to do yeah? Aren't all those shopping bags in need of wrapping yeah?" Mischievousness glinted in his crystal blue eyes as he watched pink dust her cheeks.

"Sorry." Sakura nervously scratched the back of her head; embarrassed at being caught studying him. She stepped into the kitchen and grabbed some of the bags and boxes and stared down into the bags in her arms as she paused at the doorway. "Deidara…you and I have to talk more okay. After dinner." She glanced back at him to see his head nod, understanding in his crystal blue eyes.

'He really isn't stupid…what the hell happened to him..?' She sighed softly then wandered down the hall to the living room and placed the bags and boxes on the ground. 'Better get started wrapping all these gifts…' She kneeled down and pulled out a bag filled with wrapping paper, tape, gift boxes, bows, and tags. 'Since when did I have this many friends anyway?' A frown graced her lips as she pulled out a rather large square box and opened it. 'Sasuke better like this Rolex I got him…I spent an hour alone trying to decide whether or not to get the gold or silver one, he's so picky about the stupidest things.'

She sifted though the bag and pulled out another box; this one orange. 'And Naruto better not come barging over here…knowing him…' Her green eyes darted to the door; half expecting the spiky blonde to open the door and waltz in. A smile crept onto her face as her long, elegant fingers ran over the gold necklace she bought him.

OOO

A midnight blue haired male scowled at the spiky blonde haired male sitting on his floor, drinking coffee and using his laptop. He shook his head then sat beside the baby blue eyed male. "Mind if I use my laptop Dobe?"

The spiky blonde sent his best friend a sidelong glance as he scrolled down the screen of the news website he was on. "Hello to you too buddy." He mumbled sarcastically before sliding the laptop over. "So…when are we going to eat?" His baby blue eyes glued to the screen as the midnight blue haired male exited out of the news article. "Sasuke?"

"What Naruto? Wait a minute; I want to check the weather." Sasuke scoffed at the blonde beside him, watching as he faked dying of starvation. "Naruto. You are not going to die. You just had coffee. Wait five minutes." He then navigated his way to his homepage.

"Why do you need to know the weather?" Naruto slouched over the table; playing with the now empty coffee cup. "You planning on going somewhere?"

Sasuke pointedly ignored the blonde at his side as he scrolled down the screen, his eyes darting back and forth between the laptop screen and his window. 'Shit...heavy snow…those idiots had better made sure to secure the materials for construction before they get ruined…we'd be down millions if all the raw material go to waste like that.' Annoyance danced in his eyes as he contemplated picking up his cell phone. 'Why is it I always have to double check everything…?' He glanced at his baby blue eyed best friend slouched over the table to see him amusing himself with the empty coffee cup. '….Sometimes I wish I was as simple minded as him…'

Just then Naruto sat up; his once charismatic baby blue eyes now troubled. "Hey…Sasuke…"

Immediately the midnight blue haired male turned his attention to his friend. 'He never calls me 'Sasuke'…'

"I got a weird feeling…"

"A weird feeling about what?" Sasuke glanced back at the screen to see he got an e-mail from Sakura.

"Like…it's in my gut…I feel like…I think…someone's after Sakura?" He stared straight ahead; his face a mask of bewilderment and pain. "After the company…but after her…"

Sasuke heaved a heavy sigh then opened his e-mail. "Naruto….someone's always after our company…and they always aim for Sakura because she's female." His raised an eyebrow at his friend. "Or are you just saying that because she ditched us tonight and you're feeling rejected?"

Naruto huffed then turned his head to the side; his face swelled in annoyance. "I just get the feeling that Sakura did something important without us."

Sasuke shook his head and opened his e-mail to see a message from Sakura. 'Hmmm….this ought to explain everything.' His eyes scanned the e-mail; eyebrows rising in confession, surprise then finally annoyance.

Hey Sasuke.

Thanks Sasuke.

-Sakura

P.S Tell Naruto about all of this for me?

He re-read the e-mail again then shook his head and sighed. 'Sakura why can't you ever be normal for once? I doubt you ran a background check on this guy and you let him into your home?'

"Sasuke…what the hell is wrong with your face?" Naruto leaned over his shoulder to read the e-mail. "Sakura took in some stranger? Is she okay? What was she thinking? We need to go over their right now!" He jumped up off the floor only to have Sasuke grab his leg.

"Calm down Dobe. She's not stupid. She doesn't want us to go over to her house tonight. Tomorrow morning we'll head over okay; it'll give her time to explain things to him. For now we'll send her an e-mail."

Hey Sakura,

Sasuke here with Naruto at my side.

He glanced at the blonde beside him leaning over his shoulder.

So this guy from earlier; the one you needed my clothes for-

"She needed your clothes for some guy? What the hell? What guy? What happened earlier?" Naruto peered at the screen, panic and worry laced in his gaze.

Sasuke huffed and rolled his shoulders; pushing the blonde off his shoulder. "Naruto…" He warned.

"What? I'm concerned…"

"You'll find out in due time so shut up already." He turned back to his laptop and resumed tying.

-he is now staying with you? You have such trust in him that you are willing to allow this man into your home and sleep while you sleep?

Sakura; I trust you. I really do. But are you positive in this decision? Taking him on means you are taking responsibility for him. What about his past? How did he end up on the street? Have you answered these questions? What about family or relatives; are you going to go looking for them? And what if you find them and he leaves?

I don't want you to get hurt Sakura, that's all I'm saying. Think this through completely will you?

You know I will stand by you and your decision no matter what.

Beside him Naruto cleared his throat and gave a low whistle as he nodded at the screen.

Naruto is with you as well. We both trust you and care for you okay Sakura. So fill us in soon on what it is you are doing.

Sasuke sat back and scanned the e-mail with Naruto reading over his shoulder. "You forgot to tell her we'll be dropping by tomorrow." Naruto mumbled before sitting back and allowing Sasuke to type.

Naruto and I will be coming by tomorrow morning. Perhaps for brunch? After all it will be Christmas and I'd hate to not spend it with you and have you spend it alone with a man we've never even met.

Yours truly,

Sasuke and Naruto

"Well…that ought to do it…" Naruto sighed then stood up. "So now what do we do?" Just then his stomach growled. "Food? Dinner? What did you cook?"

OOO

Idly Deidara pulled his long blonde hair into a loose ponytail as he slowly walked into the living room. His footsteps light and concise as his eyes nervously gazed around the room looking for the pink haired young woman. "S-Sakura yeah?"

"Yes?" A small voice chirped from the floor near the small Christmas tree. Sakura turned to look at the young crystal blue eyed male over her shoulder, a soft blush on her face.

"Dinner is ready yeah." His eyes were trained on her small, lithe form as she stood up and danced to his side; a small smile resting on her lips.

"Really? That was awfully fast…what did you make?" Her nose twitched slightly as she sniffed the air, searching for a scent that would give her a clue as to what he cooked. 'What is that smell? Vanilla? Spice? Tea? What is it that he cooked?' Almost instantly her smile turned into a frown. "Deidara? What'd you cook?"

Deidara watched as she followed her nose into the kitchen, her green eyes shut in concentration. "I don't recognize the smell…is it foreign?"

He nodded slowly, a small smile crawling its way onto his face as he followed behind her.

"Yeah un…it's just a little something I picked up…" He pulled out the chair for for her to sit as the table he already set. "I hope you like it…" Slight panic found its way onto his face as he stared down at her plate he filled with a little bit of everything. "I mean…I wasn't sure…and it has been awhile since I last cooked yeah…if you don't wan-"

"Deidara." Sakura sat and laid her left and atop of his. "It's fine I'll try it." She smiled a heartwarming smile up at his tense body before pulling her hand away and reaching for a dish filled with what looked to be mashed potatoes and adding more to her plate.

Nervously he let out a deep breath before taking the seat opposite Sakura and pouring tea for the two of them. "Its peppermint un…the tea…" He shakily placed her cup of tea beside her plate as she took up her chopsticks and picked up a green bean then ate it.

Awkward silence.

Deidara leaned forward and watched as she chewed slowly then swallowed and reached for her cup of tea; then downed the entire cup. Embarrassment covered Deidara's face as he slowly sunk down to the ground.

"Deidara honey? It's been awhile since you last cooked huh?" Sakura gazed at the male in front of her, amusement dancing in her green orbs.

He slowly nodded, his eyes trained on his untouched plate.

"Well…guess we're both in the same boat for now." She shrugged casually.

"What?"

Sakura smiled teasingly at him before standing and wandering over to a cupboard. "I can't cook…but hey; you are more than welcome to try and learn. Perhaps resurrect whatever cooking talents you have?" She quirked an eyebrow at his motionless form. "From what I gathered…you can cook; you're just hopefully, a bit rusty?"

Deidara chuckled softly and nodded. "Yeah un…I guess…" He watched as she took two Ramen cups out of the cupboard.

"Ramen?" He caught the two cups she tossed at him.

"You want to cook them? Cause honestly I even mess these up…"

"You don-"

"I'm not joking. I really am truly awful at cooking anything." She took a seat once again at the table. "Thirty minute rice? Yeah right more like sixty minutes…those directions aren't consumer friendly."

"Okay okay…I get the picture yeah…how's the tea?" He eyed her empty tea cup before opening the two cups of Ramen.

"Good…good." Sakura reached over the table to grab the teapot and pour herself some more tea. "So…about your past…do you care to fill me in?"

Deidara visibly stiffened. "…Are you serious about helping me?"

"Yes."

His blonde hair bobbed as he nodded. "I only remember my first name; Deidara. I've moved around so much since I was little that I've forgotten where I really come from…I was born in a modest home yeah, my family wasn't poor but we weren't exactly rich either." He glanced around the kitchen then his eyes rested on the young woman seated in front of him. "I had a hard time with my father...then I had to support my mother…I didn't go to school because I didn't have the time to…I learned what my mother taught me and what I picked up on my own yeah." His crystal eyes turned glassy but he didn't look away from her porcelain face. "Sakura Haruno I would truly appreciate it if you would help me un."

Sakura closed her eyes. 'Deidara…Deidara…Deidara…no education…essentially no parents…nothing to live for…just an unfairly tough life…should I take the risk?' She reopened her eyes to see him still staring at her. "…Yes Deidara. I will help you."

OOO

Two young men made their way up the snow covered path to a holly covered door, each carrying a bag. Sasuke rapped his knuckles on the door while the spiky blonde beside him peered through the small peep hole. "Naruto…will you calm down and relax? It's Christmas Day and you are attracting too much unwanted attention." He mumbled, pulling his jacket around his slight frame closer and sending the security guard a charming smile.

"Relax Sasuke relax." Naruto grinned. "Sakura is coming anyways."

Just then Sakura opened the door. "Morning you guys." She smiled, her cheeks dusting pink with the burst of cold morning as she stepped aside to let them in. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas Sakura!" Naruto yelled; tossing off his black and orange jacket and picking her up in a bear hug.

"Don't suffocate her Dobe." Sasuke smirked, picking up the blonde's jacket and taking off his own. He then hung them up in the closet and hugged Sakura. "Merry Christmas Sakura." He handed her a giant bag filled gifts. "These are for you."

A blush made its way onto her face. "Oh thanks Sasuke…really…" She smiled and bit her lip anxiously.

"HERE'S YOURS SAKUra!" Naruto shoved another bag in front of her face.

"Dobe!" Sasuke grabbed the bags and made his way into the living room only to be met with another male as soon as he entered.

"…Hello un…" Deidara smiled nervously at Sasuke.

"Hey…" He answered back giving him a smirk and side stepping the male to get to the Christmas tree.

"So I really hope you like my gifts Sakura I sp-" Naruto stopped short before he walked into the young man. "OH! HELLO!" He grinned a devilish grin. "MERRY CHRISTMAS DATTEBAYO! I'M NARUTO!" He roughly patted Deidara's shoulder then sat on a couch.

Sakura entered; slippers in hand. "Hey, well I guess everyone has met one another?" Her green eyes fleeted around the room anxiously. "Naruto? Sasuke? This Deidara." She walked up beside the long haired blonde. "Deidara; this is Naruto." She nodded at the spiky blonde sitting on her couch. "And Sasuke." The midnight blue haired young man nodded from his place under the Christmas tree.

"Hello un…Merry Christmas yeah…" He nodded at the two and shifted uncomfortably.

"What kind of accent is that?" Naruto inquired; munching on the chestnuts Sakura had placed on the table.

"Naruto…" Sakura warned, sitting on the couch beside him. "Have a seat Deidara. I promise they won't bite." She gave him a warm smile and nodded to the loveseat across from her.

Deidara nodded and slowly sat down.

Awkward silence.

"Okay let's get this over with." Sasuke began, standing. "Sakura you want to give him," He nodded to Deidara watching. "A job at our company."

"Yes." Sakura nodded, pouring a cup of tea. "I think he would fit right in."

"What kind of job were you thinking?" Naruto cut in.

"…Maybe an assistant? Mine?" She glanced at the blonde beside her before looking back at Sasuke.

"An assistant? Why? What would he do?" Sasuke queried, accepting the cup of tea she offered.

"I could file, make coffee, give an outsiders opinion. Various necessities I could do." Deidara spoke up, gaining everyone's attention.

Naruto stared at the young man before him, his eyes calculating. 'He's nineteen…uneducated but he seems smart…Sakura obviously likes him…there's not much to go on at all except for your gut…' He leaned forward, a grin on his face. "I like you Deidara…I think you'd make a great addition to our little family!"

Relief flooded Sakura's veins as the blonde beside her wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Sakura here has great taste so if she likes you, I like you."

"Like has nothing to do with giving someone a job as our assistant Dobe." Sasuke cut in; a scowl on his face.

"Uh….yeah it does…" Naruto squinted in thought. "It definitely does."

"Well…" Sasuke closed his eyes in concentration. 'Age nineteen, no education, lived on the street for most of his life, no family to speak of…what the hell...' He shook his head lazily before re-opening his eyes. "I suppose I should give you a chance Deidara. One chance. You screw this up and you're out." He stepped forward, extending his hand for him to shake. "Welcome to the family."

"Oh thanks you guys!" Sakura squealed excitedly as she jumped over the table and into Deidara's arms. "Congratulations Deidara! You are now part of our family and company!"

Deidara nodded stiffly, still in shock from the news. He slowly wrapped his arms around Sakura's slight frame as a smile slowly crawled its way onto his face. 'I…they accepted me un? I'm part of their family?' His crystal blue eyes glazed over as he looked from Sasuke sitting on the arm of the couch to Naruto pouring another cup of tea and finally Sakura sitting in his arms, happily babbling about how wonderful this is and what will happen.

Outside snow danced to the ground, covering everything in yet another blanket of fluffy, white snow. Hot tea graced the throats of cold families as they sat by the warm fire; and inside the holly covered door; sat a small family of three, now made four. The crystal eyed, long blonde haired male smiled warmly at the people surrounding him. He now had a place where he belonged and people that not only he cared for, but they cared for him as well.

An Act of Benevolence ~ End

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all.

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