Maybe they just weren't meant to be. Maybe she was destined to be all-alone for the rest of her life, and he destined to continue his life as a successful playboy.
Or maybe, just maybe, this would make her open her eyes, and realize that her real princes had been there all along.
"He is an idiot"
Those four simple words left her mouth, along with endless amounts of tears, leaking from her eyes down her cheeks.
"I know"
Two words from the man kneeling in front of her caused her to tremble violently, and more tears floated.
Everyone had seen it. Everyone had told her - right from the beginning.
But she had ignored it.
She had thought she could change him - that she was special to him.
But they had been right and she had been wrong.
"-And I'm an even bigger idiot"
A gentle hand lifted her face, directing her gaze from the floor, to clash with deep onyx eyes.
The same, dark eyes as the one whom had tramped on her heart countless of times.
"No, you are not"
As his lips moved, she couldn't help but stare at them.
They are so alike, yet so different.
("Well they are brothers, what did you expect?") a little voice cooed in her mind.
The tears had stopped flowing by now - she had simply run out of tears-, leaving her with an empty feeling in her heart.
He smiled slightly as he saw that the tears had come to a halt.
Good. His brother was not worth those tears – her tears.
He looked at her tear-stained face - the anger and disgust towards his brother grew in him.
How could his brother destroy such a loving, gentle and beautiful person as her?
"Never call yourself an idiot, just because you have loved someone. He is the idiot, for not seeing the treasure he once had," He stated in a clam voice, trying to make the woman in front of him feel better.
"It's just, it's just that he did it with her" She sobbed.
"I never thought that, that by best friend could do something like that to me. I thought I could trust her!" She practically yelled the last part, her face twisted in anger.
Even when she cries, she looks beautiful.
She had always been beautiful – no matter what emotion her face displayed.
"I – If it had been with anyone but her, it would have been different, but…" She couldn't continue. There was nothing else to say. It would have been different… It wouldn't have hurt as much as seeing her two most beloved people betraying her trust like that.
"I know, Sakura. I know" His voice was still calm as ever, though she knew of the anger lying behind it.
She had always admired Itachi for his ability to keep clam, even during the most upsetting times, but just this once, the wished that he would let his control slip just a little bit. She wanted to hear the anger and disappointment in his voice.
Suddenly, two arms encircled her, and pulled her close to a warm chest.
Eyes-wide, heart pounding furiously in her chest, Sakura inhaled the spicy scent of Itachi's clothes.
Itachi Uchiha was actually hugging her – actually allowing physical contact.
Slowly, her arms came to wrap around his shoulders, and she buried her face in the crook of his neck, the pure scent of his skin filling her nose – calming her senses.
As a hand tenderly began to stroke her hair, a rich voice filled her ears.
"My brother is an utter fool, but I am not, Sakura"
He pulled slightly away from her, and their eyes clashed.
"Which is why I want you to come with me"
Her eyebrows rose in confusion, and she tilted her head to the side.
"Come with you where?"
"The Akatsuki. It will be a fresh start for you there"
'The Akatsuki' His words echoed in her mind. It was the name of the organisation Itachi worked for – it was some kind of police unit, working all over the country, engaging mostly in special cases.
She had already met all the Akatsuki members, on more than one occasion, she rather liked them, and from what she could tell, they did not think badly of her either.
"Wouldn't I just be… a burden to you all there?" She looked away, fearing his answer. Itachi had always been honest towards her. Always.
Again she was forced to face him by a gentle hand.
"Sakura, you are intelligent, brave, strong and to call yourself a burden to us is foolish. If I did not think of you as worthy – I would never have offered it in the first place" The dark-haired male stated; his fingers lightly caressing her feminine jaw.
"Besides, I have already discussed this with Pein, and he would be very pleased if you one day considered to join us"
Pein the most frightening man Sakura had ever met and the "leader" of the Akatsuki.
When she had first met Pein, she had been frightened by his cold stare and many piercings. Later on though, as they conversed more and more, she learned that Pein was not to be judged by appearance. Pein was actually a rather gentle and caring person, and the last time they had talked, she had been granted the pleasure of receiving one of his rare, but breath-taking smiles.
"We all care about you. With us, you will never get hurt ever again"
As Itachi said that, pictures of all the members flashed through her mind.
Pein, Konan, Deidara, Sasori, Kisame, Zetsu, Kakuzu, Hidan, Tobi.
With weary eyes, she looked at Itachi.
How could he have promise her something like that?
How could he be so sure?
("Because, he loves you – they all do") The same little voice whispered, stating what she already knew.
They loved her, and she loved them too.
They had always been there for her.
To think that it would take her heart to get broken before she realized that…
With a small, tired smile she nodded at Itachi.
"Let's go, Itachi"
And that they did; packing a small bag of clothes, Sakura and Itachi left her small apartment, stepping out on the empty streets – walking away hand-in-hand.
A few minutes after they left, a car came to a halt in front of the building, and out stepped a dark-haired male, rushing into the building.
Completely out of breath, he knocked furiously on a grey door.
She had to be home, there was nowhere else for her to be. He thought.
But no matter how much he banged on the door, no one came to answer.
His head suddenly collided with the hard door, and a pained groan slipped from his lips.
A large hand grabbed his neck and pulled him back, before throwing him into a wall.
"This will fucking teach him not to play with Akatsuki property"
With his vision blurry, the only thing he could see about his attacker was the slicked-back silver hair.
Hidan, the most blood-thirsty member of the Akatsuki.
The end.
I know I should be working on my other story, 'fallen' right now instead of writing one-shots. but I just had to do something to get myself back to writing...
I hope you enjoyed this little one-shot!
And pleeease review - it really boosts the imagination and the passion to write!