Last time I did Itachi and Izumi was the tragic "The Haunted Camellia Lantern". Though, it was bittersweet by the end, and the people who reviewed were just sweet and understanding. :)

Brand new one here, but with more going on, and inspired (once again) by "heart breaker" by theeflowerchild - a hell of a dramatic, romantic and bittersweet oneshot. Not sure if I should spoil it, so if anyone wants to read it, feel free to check it out. Let's say that it is the basis for what happens in here.

Everything about Naruto and its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto, and thank you again for theeflowerchild's story (my other story based off it being "A Ring by Spring"). And this story is named for a novel of the name I hadn't read, by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss.

Chapter One

Homecoming

"Honestly, Kisame, what's the three of us gonna do to make a difference?"

"Because, Sasori, enough is enough. He's been like this ever since the wedding. I let him stay with me and away from home, because he can't stand being near those two after what SHE did to him. You both know that," Kisame Hoshigaki growled through his teeth as they stalked up the stairs before going for the elevator for the rest of the way, right up to his bachelor pad he now shared with his longtime friend.

My friend who needs to get back into the world, but that slut made him a broken shell of who he was. Good thing I haven't had a wife and don't intend to anytime soon.

As long as he'd known Itachi Uchiha, the man took a while to know if that person was worth being in his close circle, counting Kisame himself, because he knew what it was like to not get too close to people unless time established it. At first sight always got you into immediate trouble. But even two years for Itachi had resulted in the present crisis.

His kid brother had brought that girl home to their mother and great-uncle - their father's uncle - so it was predestined from that moment when Itachi should have seen it coming. It was unlike him to become so vulnerable that easily, but that pink-haired girl had him wrapped around her finger...only to assume that he hadn't wanted a serious commitment with her. Just a disregard for the consequences.

Kisame hardly ever crossed paths with Itachi's family, hearing about them only when his friend spoke about them at the tavern they ran together along with their female friend Konan Nagato - who was actually the one to keep everyone on their toes - known as the Akatsuki, and eventually, after a year and a half, Itachi finally admitted to him that he was in love with that girl, because of her kindness, sweet appearance and her incredible hard work since she was a medical student in her final year. She also had no intentions of giving it up if she married, and it was difficult to find a man who let her be who she was.

Recipe for disaster from the beginning, especially when she apparently won the hearts of both Uchiha brothers.

His concerns were founded one day, during a wreckage called the cherry blossom season when Itachi presented her with a gift under one of those trees in the park: a pendant which bore a radiant red helenite cut in an odd heart shape, as if manufactured for the "queen you worship", and was attached to a strand of several freshwater pearls which draped down the back, thus making it perfect against an exposed back. If that had been his woman, Kisame would have burst to life with animalistic urges to ravish.

Itachi had excellent taste, I would always give him that...but damn her for leading him on the way she did!

She had thought he was giving the necklace as a friend, then dropping the bomb that she thought this was a moment for friends, when Itachi leaned in to try and kiss her. He'd thought this was the day to admit his feelings...never seeing her reaction and response coming. He raised his voice on her and told her she thought to just assume without taking into consideration his feelings. It was clearly all about her, and he saw it too late. She protested that she still cared for him, but it was too late for sorries.

Itachi came right to Kisame's apartment that day, and they shared a drink together as well as ordered takeout, such as grilled seafood dumplings and the tri-colored hanami dango. Except while it satisfied his friend physically, it was a different story emotionally.

Then there was an engagement party which had been a surprise, inviting everyone but not telling what it was - and that did include himself and Konan, on Sunday when the saloon was closed - and Kisame saw Sasuke Uchiha with his new fiancée for the first time. She was a beauty with her pixie-cut pastel hair, eyes lush as vineyards, and ivory skin with blushing cheeks. The younger Uchiha - sweeping raven hair, dark eyes and same ivory skin as his family - was in a casual but formal dark blue turtleneck and slacks, and the woman who was going to be his wife was in wine-colored velvet which could be mistaken as a dress when the wide legs joined together.

She had the nerve to still wear that necklace from Itachi, assuming that it could remotely start to soothe his injured feelings. She really thought she'd lessen them by still including him in her life, aware of how hurt he was but not doing anything to console him! Kisame Hoshigaki had been livid over plenty of things in his thirty-seven years of life, but this was different because this was his best friend and business partner.

That engagement ring to boot was an heirloom belonging to the brothers' grandmother - snowy metal boasting a lustrous lava-red stone, carved with golden leaves and rosy flowers similar to the cherry blossoms - and not only that, but she had the gall to wear the gift from the man whose heart she broke.

Itachi had suffered through staying at the dinner to follow, Kisame and Konan with him, and that also meant the three of them joining Sasori and Deidara for drinks at the bar.

Wedding came and went that summer, right after Sasuke's birthday, and of course Kisame and company were not invited as they weren't exactly close to Sasuke and Sakura, but afterwards, when he was at his pad, Itachi called him and asked him to come and pick him up from the reception. He had to get away early and couldn't stand it anymore. That meant more drinking and eating sweets.

Two weeks had gone by since the wedding, with his brother and new sister-in-law - the woman who used him, unintentionally on her part - away on their honeymoon, which was something Madara Uchiha gave them both as a gift, and tomorrow was when they would be back.

Itachi had abruptly left the estate he'd been born and grown up in, moving straight into Kisame's place, and the last time the latter saw Mikoto Uchiha, she'd tearfully promised her eldest son he could come home anytime. He nodded without words and stoutly embraced her as well as kissed her, then picked up what few bags of belongings he could so he could get away. Sasuke and Sakura would still be here, just like many families across this country.

Itachi functioned at work, the customers loving him, but at the home they shared, it had been long enough. He wasn't going to live the rest of his life like this, so he brought the boys with him.

"ITACHI UCHIHA!"

There lay his friend - a shell of his former self - with his ponytail tousled up, his eyes with the shadows beneath them, covered up with the gray throw which was usually folded on the back of the navy sofa, and there was a new empty bottle of sake on the mirror-surface of the angular table which also bore triangular sections. Behind him, on the wall, the textured canvas of bronze medallions glimmered even when the sun streaming in didn't hit them. He might be a bachelor with the occasional lady on his arm - perhaps until the right one DID come when he hit middle-age - but he liked to keep everything in order as well as classy. One of the things his mother ever drilled into him, but it was vital in everyone's home.

He's really close to leaving my liquor rack half-empty. And if he kept this up, he would have liver damage before his time.

He, Sasori and Deidara were already inside, and the drapes were still over the windows, but the only light inside came from the blue-and-green lava lamps atop carved black tables. When he barked at Sasori and Deidara to open those curtains, the light streamed in on not only the blinking, passed out man who also woke up to the sound of his voice, but it hit the chandelier which was too luxurious for his tastes yet gave this place character - faceted crystals draping from metal bulb frames shaped like lotus flowers - and that made Itachi flinch and cover his face with the throw-over. "Damn it, Kisame!"

"No, damn it, un, Itachi!" Deidara snapped for him. "You know how the hell this looks to us?! You're a goddamned mess of things! Have you looked at yourself lately?"

Sasori snorted, hands on hips. "I'd say obviously he doesn't, Dei. Weasel, you're going to get off that sofa now, clean yourself, and come out with us to have some fun that does NOT involve drinking. You trying to kill yourself or something because some slut left you in an empty shell?" He can use all the swearing there is today, boys.

"I'm not going back out into a world where I'll always remember the false assumption I made over her," Itachi growled, face still covered up. "I gave away so much in my life, and I always get nothing in return. She's no different. I let her be with my brother when I could have objected, but it's just my damned nature, you guys. I've lived my life to the fullest but will never have what I know I deserve."

And those were the words of a suicidal man; he'd really lost it. This wasn't the Itachi they knew - that everyone knew. Losing a loved one was all part of living, and Kisame had been there and done that plenty of times. He was opened and guarded at the same time, but his friend had experienced his first true heartbreak, and that was the worst kind of agony there was. He'd been driven to the point of wanting his life to be over, rather than living the rest of his life seeing the woman he loved on the arm of his own brother, or another girl possibly repeating history...

"Well, it's not going to be this way on our watches," Kisame said through his teeth, and on three, the trio would be on him faster than he could scream for help. "Just do us a favor and agree for the sake of your mother who is worried so much about you, and for ours."

And if friends' efforts didn't work, perhaps Mikoto's strategy would, even if it wouldn't complete the cycle in a day.

~o~

On this day, her life changed - or maybe that was just too clichéd to say.

It had been good that afternoon with her latest work and success only to be interrupted by that phone call when she was working on the next sketch to follow. When this was a commission for a bride who was a professional belly dancer and florist as well - complete with a brassiere and A-line skirt, both silk dyed from white down to blue, exquisite with lace and crystals, and befitting for Ino Yamanaka's fantasy wintry-themed nuptials.

It had to be when she coincidentally was on her break and in her studio, surrounded by some of the brass-and-rose ornate mirrors of every size and shape like the rest of the salon, and beneath the birdcage chandelier dripping inside to out with glimmering jewels.

She'd been back home in Konoha for a few months now, and the studio was yet to be completed all the way with shipments. She'd been away to Kyoto for college, got herself a job at one of the most outrageous modern costume stores, but then that place ended up declaring bankruptcy. Izumi Miyazaki had no choice but to set out on her own, since she'd been promoted to assistant owner and had made enough money by then to open her own boutique, though it wasn't easy to start your own. But you keep going and going even if things get hard.

And who would have imagined the call was coming?

"Mikoto, it's been a long time!" Izumi exclaimed. She had kept in touch with the family of her childhood friend since leaving Konoha, but since last year when things had been tough, she hadn't heard much from Itachi except that he'd been interested in a college student going for medical surgery. It had been months since then, and he hadn't yet responded to her. That was like him, since they didn't owe each other anything, but she sometimes worried for her childhood friend. "How have you been?"

At first, the woman had been jovial when she heard her voice again, had loved her like the daughter she never had, but now she was a bit harried. Izumi had her on speakerphone as she drew out the lace detailing of the skirt, the bra not yet done. "Oh, well, there's a reason Itachi hasn't kept in touch with you besides that Sakura girl. It's urgent, but I bet you don't have time to talk about it. Why don't we meet for lunch sometime, and then we can catch up while I tell you everything?" she offered, and that sounded reasonable enough.

It was Thursday, but she'd just had lunch not too long ago. Tomorrow would have to do. But before that, she would have to get a head start on Ino Yamanaka's gown, and have it ready by autumn's near-end, before the cold winter would kick in.

When she was done with the sketch, she admired her handiwork and could not wait to get to work. Everything her client wanted and more. To go with, since Ino wanted to keep her signature sleek high ponytail, she'd have a crown and comb made up of raw, frosty blue crystals, icy diamonds and snowy pearls.

She had several people here in her new salon, which was known as Izumi's Fountain of Fantasy, and at the front desk were Hinata and her younger sister Hanabi. They were all hardworking even if some of them were either still in college or just fresh out.

Izumi ended up finding her best friend whom she made in designer school, Rika Nishina. She told her she would be gone for lunch and who it concerned, to which her friend and co-owner assured her she would watch over things until she came back.

It was off to none other than the Kaguya Diner, where the best sushi, ramen, grilled meats and seafood were served. Everything you could ask for was there, and was affordable for the rich and poor alike. On the outside was steel and river bricks, supported by wooden beams and pillars, the glass windows at the entrance showing parts of the inside: above each table were hanging exotic metal lamps dripping with icy jewels which casted rainbow prisms throughout the areas. There were also tropical plants and bamboo in their respectable lacquered vases, and some of them happened to be ornate blown glass in colors from turquoise blue to ruby red, liquid purple, as well as grassy green, all on metalwork stands.

The walls were dominated by exquisite Heian-era scenes, particularly those inspired by the influential Genji Monogatari.

Before going inside, Izumi ran the balm over her lips for extra moisture and shine; the taste of fresh apricots reached her buds as the scent rose to her nostrils. She was still in her work uniform consisting of a belted black blouse with faceted crystals as buttons, leggings and boots of black leather and purple velvet. Her chocolate hair was curled thanks to an iron, as well as chopped to her shoulders, once long and straight down her back.

Maybe she got a bit narcissistic about her appearance, but she admired herself with the earrings and bracelet around her right wrist, both with her favorite metal and gemstones: three amethysts entwined like grapes on a vine in her ears, while you could barely see the tiny white crystals on one branch. Her wrist was snugged with a trio of faceted but rugged royal gems on rosy gold which she could adjust like an ID.

And though her smartphone had the time, her mother's watch on her left wrist gave the interval of two minutes until the designated one PM. But she could go in now.

Mom always said that roses, in every country in the world, meant eternal love. But whether in the ground or on the side of the road as well as in stores, the flowers themselves die after a specific period of time. This looks so much like a rose, with the mother-of-pearl face ringed with pink-white crystals, on a maroon leather strap.

Aunt Kazue said that Mom would have wanted me to have this.

That was when she was just fourteen years old, when her mother passed away from ovarian cancer.

Inside, she found the woman herself in a booth by a window, offering them privacy for their conversation. This had to do with Itachi, and it was what prevented her from sleeping much the previous night. Mikoto Uchiha in draping raspberry to show off her majestic proportions, raven hair flowing down her back and pushed behind her ears to show big, radiantly cut pink gems in her earlobes as well as a slim bracelet of those stones...

...and even ten years since the death of her husband, she still wore her lustrous diamond wedding rings.

Mikoto's midnight eyes were warm and welcoming, as if separation and time hadn't changed a thing. She stood up when Izumi approached and then reached across the table to take her hands into both of hers, telling her she had missed her so much, was proud of what she'd done for herself - and that her mother would feel the same, just like great-aunt Kazue - and was so glad she was here now especially in these serious times.

Before they got into the heavy stuff, Mikoto blushed when she told her that she wore one of her debut costumes in Konoha, a week after the opening, and it was none other than the one inspired by the queen of the Greek deities, goddess of marriage and women. It was bold and beautiful, with the bra made of bronze metal as had been the belt plate, both of which were attached with swaying jewel-blue silk and sparkles, finished with a high collar made up of peacock feathers behind the head, which was the goddess' icon. To picture Mikoto Uchiha in it for perhaps Halloween - even if it weren't celebrated the same way as in the west - made Izumi flustered and honored.

However, as they waited for their lunches and for now enjoyed a small tray of assorted sashimi and green tea, Mikoto told her everything, and it made her blood boil on various levels.

The girl of Itachi's interest, Sakura Haruno - a medical student at Konoha University - had chosen his brother, but before that, she'd made a false assumption that she and Itachi were just friends, even going far as to tell him that under a blooming cherry blossom tree just when he gave her a necklace as a declaration.

"It's my Itachi: always giving and getting so little to nothing in return." Mikoto had to reach into her purse, wiping her eyes with that tissue before folding it neatly and putting it into a zip lock bag she had with her. "He suffered through the engagement announcement, endured living under the same roof until the wedding...and then he abruptly left during the reception. He cried, unlike himself to everyone's eyes, and so did I. Because one of my boys got the woman he loved while the other was left miserable, and I can't stand it anymore!" She paused and took a few breaths, taking another calming sip from her teacup, but Izumi had been too stunned and engrossed the entire time to touch hers. "So, yeah, Izumi, I'd hate to ask this of you - since Itachi has really been taking this hard - but could you consider coming into this?"

Izumi is an over-the-top wedding and costume designer, and her pieces listed in this chapter are inspired by those from Firefly Path on deviantart. :D First was the Belly Dancer Wedding Gown, and then the Hera attire.

Genji Monogatari is a thousand-year-old romance novel from Japan, dated back to the Heian era as well as taking place during that time, and written by Murasaki Shikibu.

So, for those who know "heart breaker", Itachi and Sakura slept together, but then some time later, she revealed it was just casual and she thought he had been on the same page with her. Poor baby was so heartbroken his soul never recovered. :'( Suffered through the engagement announcement as well as the wedding when he could have objected to the vows, but it's him as we know him: ALWAYS giving. And though we never learn, he probably remained single for the rest of his life, since he made it clear he would love and marry no one except her.

It's enough to have a hard time sympathizing with Sakura, especially when you assume a man devoted to you - secretly - was just a friend, and you had no right to cry when you made him do it first. Hence this story is kind of inspired by that tale and will give him a second chance, so when or IF Sakura realizes her mistake, it's too late for her to get the guy back.

It's hard to not make parts similar to the original material. Thus a lot is implied rather than explicitly seen in "heart breaker". Plagiarism is the LAST thing I want to do.

I appreciate lovely reviews and lots of detail. :D No flames, please!