A young woman looked out of the car's window, a frown plastered on her face. She couldn't explain why, but she had a feeling something bad was going to happen.
She glanced at her boyfriend who was driving, and admired the peaceful, relaxed look on his face.
He must've noticed her staring, and turned to look at her, his brows scrunching together when he saw the anxious look on her face.
"Something bothering you, love?" he asked, his voice husky and smooth.
"It's nothing, Itachi. I'm probably just being paranoid…" she replied.
He didn't seem to believe her lie. "It doesn't look like 'nothing' to me. You haven't been yourself for the last few days, Sakura. I'm worried about your health." The sincerity of his tone made her feel guilty.
"God, nothing ever gets by you, does it?" The rosette chuckled humourlessly, before she sobered up. "I'm sorry for making you worried. It's just… I feel like something bad is going to happen."
Itachi relaxed once again, glad that she told him the truth. Turning his gaze back to the road, he took one arm off the steering wheel and wrapped it round her shoulder, pulling Sakura into his side.
"You've got nothing to worry about, darling. I won't let anything happen to you." He kissed the top of her head.
Sakura sighed blissfully, her eyes closing as she buried herself in the unique scent of Itachi's cologne and the calm, soothing tones of Led Zepplin's Stairway To Heaven.
There's a lady who's sure
All that glitters is gold
And she's buying a
Stairway to heaven
"Sakura. Sakura, love, wake up, we're home."
Sakura felt herself being shaken awake and groaned. She heard Itachi chuckle.
"We can watch Lord of the Rings if you want." He baited.
At that the pinkette's eye cracked open. "All three parts?" she asked dubiously.
"If that's your wish, then why not?" Itachi answered.
Sakura beamed. She jumped out of the car, momentarily forgetting the cramps in her legs. She stumbled on the driveway, until Itachi caught her, stabilising her. She looked up and noticed the amused gleam in his eyes. She pouted.
"Not my fault you insisted on taking the long way home. That Aston Martin Vanquish may be a sexy little car, but it has absolutely no legroom whatsoever." She whined.
Itachi chuckled. "Come now, we've got a whole Lord of the Rings trilogy to get through tonight."
Sakura grinned. "I'll get the popcorn." She was about to walk into their shared house, but Itachi latched onto her wrist and pulled her back to him, crashing his lips to hers.
The rosette moaned slightly and wrapped her arms round Itachi's neck, bringing herself closer to him.
Once the need for air became apparent, they separated, both panting slightly. Itachi smirked.
"I've waited the whole day to do that."
Sakura giggled. "Right-o. But now I'm seriously going to get the popcorn, and don't try to stop me, because if this keeps up I'll never get to the kitchen." She joked.
"Mmhmm, I wouldn't mind that." Itachi murmured into her hair.
She slapped his wandering hands away from her bum and laughed at his crestfallen expression.
"Later." She whispered, and with one last wink disappeared into the house.
Sakura came out of the kitchen to see Itachi bent down in front of the TV, fitting the DVD into their DVD player. She smiled when he straightened up, and he replied with that panty-dropping grin of his.
"I've got popcorn!" she giggled slightly, shaking the big glass bowl in her hands.
Itachi stood up and walked over to her. Nuzzling her cheek affectionately, he spoke. "Do you mind if we watch the news before we start the movie?"
"Not at all, love." Sakura replied.
He smiled that dazzling smile again and turned on the news. I was about to walk back into the kitchen to get salt for the popcorn when I heard what made me freeze all over.
'A horrible tragedy took place today; sixteen people were killed in a terrorist attack at the city centre. From the CCTV records, the police had gathered that the massacre was carried by a lone individual who placed a bomb under the Washington Monument in Washington D.C.
The criminal-in-making was seen by tourists a few minutes before the explosion, carrying a devise control of some sort. He was described as a tall, lean man with long blonde hair and blue/grey eyes. His name, as well as ulterior motive are unknown as of yet, and the police find themselves unable to track him down. If anyone sees the culprit, please inform the police. Have a good evening.'
The glass bowl clattered loudly and shattered into pieces as it made contact with the tiled floor. Popcorn and glass spread everywhere, but none of the two moved. Slowly, Sakura turned to look at the TV, her emerald eyes wide and her face paler than snow.
The photo of the man was still up, and Sakura felt panic and shock wash over her. There was no mistake; the man was the same person that had haunted her dreams a few months previous.
Deidara…
Itachi, noticing the dark, saddened look in his girlfriend's eyes, quickly switched the TV off, and walked towards her, his arms open for her to run into. She did just that, burying her face in the crook of his neck, yet she refused to shed a single tear.
"So, how about a good, strong drink and your movies?" he murmured into her ear.
Sakura smiled slightly. "I love you, 'Tachi."
"I love you too, darling. But now, let's just watch the movies."
As they both crawled into their shared king-size bed, Sakura couldn't help but feel that the already bad situation she was in was about to get even worse.
She twisted and turned long after Itachi fell asleep. Images, memories of her past haunted her every time she closed her eyes, the voice of the News presenter echoing around her head.
The criminal-in-making… The criminal-in-making… The criminal-in-making…
Sakura snorted. "He was already a criminal when I met him." She mumbled.
Itachi stirred beside her, his eye cracking open in the darkness.
"Go to sleep, love. You're restless." He whispered.
The pinkette sighed. "Sorry, Itachi. I'm just not used to the sight of my ex popping out in the news."
Her boyfriend chuckled. "Ssh… Just sleep…" the soft, husky tone of his voice worked like a lullaby, and in a matter of seconds her eyes fluttered, before closing as sleep finally won over.
The next morning, Sakura woke up and tripped down the stairs on her way to get coffee, but her groggy mind refused to acknowledge the bleeding cut on her chin until she reached her goal;
The coffee machine – A.K.A The Lifesaver.
As she trudged through the kitchen, she stopped to turn on the radio and managed to catch the last notes to Dude Looks Like a Lady, before the news came on.
She froze as the speaker person spoke, time seemed to slow down as she finally understood the meaning of his words.
'There has been another terrorist attack by the city centre, this time taking 26 lives. It is believed that the criminal was the same as the one from yesterday. Once again, the CCTV caught the blond hair and blue eyes, though the facial features of the unnamed bomber remain a mystery. If you have any information regarding the bomber, please contact your local police. Have a good day.'
Sakura groaned. Quickly gulping down the rest of her coffee, she chucked the mug into the sink, running up the stairs and gathering necessary equipment.
She had hoped that she wouldn't have to kill anymore, that she could leave her past behind and move on.
No such luck.
Hurriedly strapping her gun to her thigh, she grabbed her backpack and keys to her Suzuki Hayabusa, and with a quick note that she'd scribbled to Itachi stuck to the fridge, she ran out the door.
With a last glance at their house, she drove away, stubbornly fighting back the tears that threatened to spill.
When Itachi walked into the kitchen that morning, he was acutely aware that something was wrong. For starters, the scent of freshly brewed coffee was absent.
He walked up to the coffee machine, touching it lightly. It was still warm. That means Sakura had used it in the morning.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a small piece of paper stuck to the fridge. His eyes scanned over the paper and he cursed.
Slamming down his mug, he ran over to the TV, turning on BBC news. The first thing he noticed was a burning building. The second; a flash of blonde hair.
He glanced back towards the note and picked it up from where he tossed it onto the counter. Gently running his fingers over the words scribbled on the note, he sighed.
I'm sorry, Itachi-
The only one that can stop a serial killer is the one who inspired him.
Forgive me,
Sakura.
With one last, tired groan, he collapsed onto the couch.
"Well, shit."
Did you like? Please review, I wanna know your opinions!