Sakura laid leisurely on Itachi's bed, reflecting upon the events of the day while Itachi took his shower. I saw emotions in S-ranked criminals that I never thought I'd see, thanks to that art competition. I'm not sure how to explain it, but this hideout seems more…homey all of a sudden, she thought to herself. The rosette-haired girl dared not delve too deep into her feelings, however, as she feared having to face any realities. She was with Itachi for the moment, and that was all she cared about… Wait. Was Itachi truly all that had been on her mind? Yes; that was accurate. Her thoughts had not roamed back to her friends in the Hidden Leaf Village in a while, nor had they roamed back to him…

Sasuke… The name echoed in Sakura's head. So many questions had arisen in her time as an Akatsuki "captive", and those very questions were what she feared the most. They would make her face herself and her desires; she was not sure if she was ready to do so. Had she ever truly loved Sasuke, or was it just an infatuation? What she felt for the elder Uchiha brother was completely different than what she had felt for the younger sibling. Sakura had always strove to impress Sasuke; the more he insulted and ignored her, the more she wanted to prove herself to him. She thought she wanted to save him from himself, to save him from a life of loneliness and despair. In a way, the young kunoichi still felt the same; she did still want to save Sasuke from a life of loneliness and despair, but it wasn't exactly the same anymore. Now, she wanted to save him because he is a dear friend who did not deserve the pain he had been dealt. Sakura wasn't so sure that in the past she had just wanted to save her old teammate. Maybe she had really wanted to save herself…

The green-eyed teenager placed her forearm over her face as she lost herself in thought. These feelings I have towards Itachi… They really aren't the same as what I felt for Sasuke. I don't feel like I have to impress Itachi. Deep down, I….I know that he recognizes my strength, and because of his confidence in me, I want to continue bettering myself… I don't want to just save Itachi from his loneliness; I want to be by his side through it! I want us… I want us to find happiness, together…

Sakura's thoughts were interrupted by the bathroom door gently swinging open. She raised her arm off of her face just enough to see the man who had forced her to open up standing in the doorway. He had a towel tied around his waist, and although his face held little expression, it was soft and comforting.

"What is on your mind?" the raven-haired man questioned as he ran his fingers through his hair, presumably to make sure that it was not tangled.

"Just Sasuke…" Sakura replied, immediately regretting the way in which she structured her response. She watched a slight change in expression occur in Itachi's face; he looked upset, despite how hard he seemed to be trying to hide it. "No, Itachi… I'm sorry. I really didn't mean for it to come out that way! It's just…I was thinking about whether or not I ever actually loved Sasuke the way I thought I did for so long… When I'm with you, I start to question things that I've never doubted before, and it scares me… But, I'm beginning to think that my feelings for Sasuke were just an infatuation. Sure, I loved him, but I wasn't in love with him. Ugh. Is what I'm saying making any sense?"

Itachi's expression softened again as a very small smile graced his lips. "Your words convey your feelings perfectly, Sakura; do not worry. I understand what you are saying. Although, you may want to work on how you structure your responses." At his last words, the Uchiha placed two fingers on Sakura's forehead and lightly pushed off. It was what he had done to his younger brother all of those years ago. Sakura let out a sigh of annoyance but quickly smiled. She grabbed her companion's hand and pulled him lightly towards her. Their lips met, and although she had kissed him before, the young kunoichi felt as though the kiss made her just as anxious as it had the first time. Itachi stepped forward some, causing Sakura to slowly lie back on the bed. Never breaking their lingering kiss, the S-ranked outcast placed himself in between her legs. He allowed the towel that was loosely wrapped around his waist to carelessly fall to the floor.

Itachi finally broke the kiss to speak. "I can only speak for myself, but I believe it has been a productive day. Would you not agree that we should leave it off on a productive note as well?"

Sakura grinned at her lover's words. He was blunt and awkward at times, but damn, was he smooth. She quickly responded by removing her top and, with some maneuvering on Itachi's part, her shorts and underwear. The young Sharingan user slowly pushed himself inside of his former captive, making sure not to hurt her. He planted soft kisses around her breasts until he was all the way in. Sakura nodded an "okay" to continue, and Itachi started to slowly move in and out of her. The anxious teenage girl focused on every thrust as the feeling of ecstasy grew. Her quiet sighs quickly became screams of pleasure as her skilled lover began to smash himself into her; he whispered something in her ear, but she could not make out what his words were as her senses were all concentrating on her desires.

Sakura's screams turned into short shrieks as she felt her stomach become heavy. She dug her nails into Itachi's back as her insides tightened around him, causing him to moan and release himself inside of her. He hovered above her for a moment, both of them panting and sweaty.

Itachi began to chuckle a bit, earning a questioning look from his lover. "So much for my shower, huh?"

The pink-haired girl giggled in return. "You're still clean enough to come to bed, aren't you?" At her words, the older Uchiha sibling repositioned himself next to her. "Hey. What was that you whispered to me? Sorry. I couldn't quite hear it over…you know…"

"I only said that I am lucky."

"Lucky?" Sakura inquired.

"Yes, lucky," Itachi repeated, softly pinching her nose as he does so. "I suppose lucky is not the correct word. Maybe 'blessed' would better describe how I am feeling. Despite all of the questionable choices I have made in my life, everything I have done up until now has somehow led to this. I just made love to a woman with intelligence, beauty, and strength. I would say that any man would be lucky to be in my position, and yet, here I am. I am the one who was blessed by your presence."

The young medical nin opened her mouth to speak but found herself at a loss for words. Certainly, at the exception of Naruto who she thought of as a brother, no one had ever been so whole-heartedly nice to her. Tears welled up in her eyes until they were dense enough to overflow. Itachi calmly wiped away the teardrops as they ran down her pink cheeks. Once she regained a bit of composure, she tried speaking again.

"I…I really just wish things could be this simple forever…"

"I am not sure what you consider simple," Itachi replied, obviously prompting her to elaborate.

"I mean, I know that the situation seems complicated from the outside… You kidnapped me so that I could heal your eyes, and now, I'm in love with what the world considers one of the most dangerous criminals… But, from the inside—to me, I mean—there's just two people who found each other under unexpected circumstances. See? Simple."

"I suppose I see your point. Let us enjoy the simplicity while it lasts. No need to worry ourselves with complications at this moment. Get some rest."

With Itachi's reassurance, Sakura curled up at his side. I hope that no matter what complexities come our way, at least one simplicity will stay with us: we love each other, she thought to herself before drifting into a sea of hopeful dreams.