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person4Title: Belief
Author/Artist: Person4
Pairing: Rock Lee/Haruno Sakura
Theme: #26. If only I could make you mine
Disclaimer: Naruto and all characters, places, and situations found therein belong to Kishimoto Masashi. I'm just playing with them for a little bit.
Author's Note: This chapter contains spoilers through manga chapter 182 or 3ish, but over course of my kisses there'll be spoilers for the whole manga. Fic is manga-centric, so please ignore anything that contradicts something that's anime-only because I haven't seen any of it. Previous chapters found here.
It seemed as though almost no time had passed before it was time for Lee to be moved to the room his surgery would take place in. Sakura stayed close to his side until they reached the door to the operating room, at which point Tsunade refused to let her come any further and Shizune began attempting to convince her to leave the hospital altogether. "We're going to be in here for hours! You should go do something fun to pass the time quickly, not just wait out here staring at the wall," she said in a wheedling tone.
Although he was worried about what was going to happen to him, Lee couldn't help but be overjoyed that Sakura cared at least enough to want to be there for him. Still, he couldn't blame Shizune for wanting her to leave. If he died during the operation than he was sure they wouldn't want to have to break the news to her as soon as they opened the door. It was that thought that made him say, "Maybe you should listen to her, Sakura-chan. It would be better for you to go do something to take your mind off of things, instead of sitting out there with nothing to do but brood."
"Don't you start!" she replied, craning her neck to look at him around Shizune. "I promised you I'd stay, and I will. I thought you said that would make you happy."
"It does, Sakura-chan! But it would make me happier to know that you're somewhere enjoying yourself, rather than being upset for my sake."
"Well, tough. I'm the one whose state of mind everyone's suddenly so worried about, and I want to stay. Anyway, don't you think I'd be just as worried no matter where I was?"
Her face was pale and tense with worry, and a small, hateful, part of his mind wondered how much of it was for him, and how much was her no longer hiding her worry over Sasuke. He knew, of course, that he shouldn't let it bother him: Gai-sensei had never said anything about his precious person needing to return his affection, and he should just be content with the friendship she was willing to give him instead of getting upset that she cared for someone else. Even someone as unworthy of having her love as Sasuke had proven himself to be.
While he was thinking this, Tsunade seemed to have gotten tired of the arguing, and pushed Shizune aside. "If you want to wait, I won't make you go," she said to Sakura. "But, in return, you gotta do something for me, all right?"
Sakura seemed a little flustered at being addressed directly by the Hokage, and she nodded and quickly said, "Of course Tsunade-sama. Anything you want."
"Okay than. Once we've started in here, I want you to run down to the admissions desk and tell whoever's there to have a bottle of sake ready for me when we're done here. If they hassle you, make sure they know that this is a direct order from the Hokage herself. Can you do that?"
Sakura looked a little startled, and Lee couldn't blame her. He had expected Tsunade to give her some sort of a difficult assignment, something that Sakura would rather leave than do, not send her on an alcohol run. After a moment she nodded again. "If that's what you want Tsunade-sama."
"Good girl. We'll be starting in a few minutes, but you can come in for a second and say goodb-- luck if you'd like. Just don't touch anything."
Sakura didn't seem to catch Tsunade's slip, actually seeming a bit reassured by being let into the room with him. She took exaggerated care to avoid touching any of Tsunade's equipment as she walked around the bed to his uninjured side. When she took his hand between both of hers and squeezed lightly it seemed as though her touch warmed his entire arm, and he grinned at her broadly. This was good luck, he was sure; there was no chance he'd die that day when Sakura had held his hand, when he suspected she might even do it again when he woke up and saw her again.
She smiled back, although her worry strained the expression a little. "Lee-kun," she said softly, her eyes darting to Tsunade and Shizune to see if they were listening then meeting his, "I don't think I even need to wish you luck, although I do. I can't believe that the surgery would fail, not on you. I know you'll be able to live as a ninja again soon."
He wondered if she'd be able to say that so steadily if she knew the truth about how low his chances of survival were, and if he should tell her about it while he had this chance. That would at least give her the chance to brace herself for the possibility of his death. However, he knew he'd be unable to get the words out even if he did try to tell her; any courage he had drained right out of him at the thought of upsetting her. Which, he told himself, was another reason that he would not let himself die there. Not when she had no idea the surgery was so dangerous, and no reason to expect that there would be a consequence worse than Tsunade being unable to heal him. "Thank you Sakura-chan!" he said, forcing his voice to stay cheerful. "I know that there's nothing to fear when I have the power of your belief supporting me!"
She nodded, and squeezed his hand once more before letting it go. "But not just mine, Gai-sensei believes in you too! And I'm sure your team mates do, and I know Naruto and Kakashi-sensei would like you to get better, and, oh, everyone would, even if they can't be here. And there's no way you'd let that many people down."
"All right kids, time's up," Tsunade said, interrupting them from the doorway where she'd been quietly talking to Shizune. "If we don't start soon we're still going to be here in the middle of the night."
Sakura smiled at Lee one last time as walked out of the room. "I'll see you tomorrow, or as soon as they let me, okay Lee-kun?"
"I'm sure you will," Tsunade said, shooing Sakura out the door. "Remember, sake. Tell them I'd like a good daiginjo; I'm gonna deserve it by the time we're through here."
Tsunade began to shut the door, and on a whim Lee called out, "Sakura-chan!" When she glanced back at him he blew her a kiss, as he had the first time they'd talked at the Chuunin exam. That last glimpse he had of her before the door clicked shut showed him that this time she wasn't even trying to dodge.
He lay back in the hospital bed, closing his eyes as Shizune prepared to anesthetize him. He wished Gai-sensei was waiting out there with her, he'd know what to say to prepare her for the worst even if Lee himself had been unable to. He thought that maybe he was just as unworthy of her as Sasuke was if he couldn't even bring himself to warn her about what might happen. He swore to himself that he when he next saw her he'd apologise for misleading her, and that he'd tell her the truth first thing if he were ever in a similar situation in the future. If he couldn't keep that promise than he'd never try to be anything more than her friend again for the rest of their lives, no matter how much he wished for something more. And if he kept it than.... He smiled slightly to himself as the drugs started to make his mind drift. If he kept it, than there was the chance that someday he would find a way to win her heart.
"Remember what she said, Lee-kun," Tsunade said quietly from close at his side. "If you see a long tunnel with a light at the end, or feel yourself leaving your body, or any of those things people say happen, then remember that there's a nice girl out there waiting for you to get better and stay right where you are, because it'll hurt her like hell if you let yourself go."
Although his body felt heavy and sluggish, he forced himself to nod in acknowledgement of her words. Yes, Sakura-chan was waiting to see him again. There was nothing in the world more important than that.
That was the last thing in his mind before he fully fell into his drug-induced sleep.
Author/Artist: Person4
Pairing: Rock Lee/Haruno Sakura
Theme: #26. If only I could make you mine
Disclaimer: Naruto and all characters, places, and situations found therein belong to Kishimoto Masashi. I'm just playing with them for a little bit.
Author's Note: This chapter contains spoilers through manga chapter 182 or 3ish, but over course of my kisses there'll be spoilers for the whole manga. Fic is manga-centric, so please ignore anything that contradicts something that's anime-only because I haven't seen any of it. Previous chapters found here.
It seemed as though almost no time had passed before it was time for Lee to be moved to the room his surgery would take place in. Sakura stayed close to his side until they reached the door to the operating room, at which point Tsunade refused to let her come any further and Shizune began attempting to convince her to leave the hospital altogether. "We're going to be in here for hours! You should go do something fun to pass the time quickly, not just wait out here staring at the wall," she said in a wheedling tone.
Although he was worried about what was going to happen to him, Lee couldn't help but be overjoyed that Sakura cared at least enough to want to be there for him. Still, he couldn't blame Shizune for wanting her to leave. If he died during the operation than he was sure they wouldn't want to have to break the news to her as soon as they opened the door. It was that thought that made him say, "Maybe you should listen to her, Sakura-chan. It would be better for you to go do something to take your mind off of things, instead of sitting out there with nothing to do but brood."
"Don't you start!" she replied, craning her neck to look at him around Shizune. "I promised you I'd stay, and I will. I thought you said that would make you happy."
"It does, Sakura-chan! But it would make me happier to know that you're somewhere enjoying yourself, rather than being upset for my sake."
"Well, tough. I'm the one whose state of mind everyone's suddenly so worried about, and I want to stay. Anyway, don't you think I'd be just as worried no matter where I was?"
Her face was pale and tense with worry, and a small, hateful, part of his mind wondered how much of it was for him, and how much was her no longer hiding her worry over Sasuke. He knew, of course, that he shouldn't let it bother him: Gai-sensei had never said anything about his precious person needing to return his affection, and he should just be content with the friendship she was willing to give him instead of getting upset that she cared for someone else. Even someone as unworthy of having her love as Sasuke had proven himself to be.
While he was thinking this, Tsunade seemed to have gotten tired of the arguing, and pushed Shizune aside. "If you want to wait, I won't make you go," she said to Sakura. "But, in return, you gotta do something for me, all right?"
Sakura seemed a little flustered at being addressed directly by the Hokage, and she nodded and quickly said, "Of course Tsunade-sama. Anything you want."
"Okay than. Once we've started in here, I want you to run down to the admissions desk and tell whoever's there to have a bottle of sake ready for me when we're done here. If they hassle you, make sure they know that this is a direct order from the Hokage herself. Can you do that?"
Sakura looked a little startled, and Lee couldn't blame her. He had expected Tsunade to give her some sort of a difficult assignment, something that Sakura would rather leave than do, not send her on an alcohol run. After a moment she nodded again. "If that's what you want Tsunade-sama."
"Good girl. We'll be starting in a few minutes, but you can come in for a second and say goodb-- luck if you'd like. Just don't touch anything."
Sakura didn't seem to catch Tsunade's slip, actually seeming a bit reassured by being let into the room with him. She took exaggerated care to avoid touching any of Tsunade's equipment as she walked around the bed to his uninjured side. When she took his hand between both of hers and squeezed lightly it seemed as though her touch warmed his entire arm, and he grinned at her broadly. This was good luck, he was sure; there was no chance he'd die that day when Sakura had held his hand, when he suspected she might even do it again when he woke up and saw her again.
She smiled back, although her worry strained the expression a little. "Lee-kun," she said softly, her eyes darting to Tsunade and Shizune to see if they were listening then meeting his, "I don't think I even need to wish you luck, although I do. I can't believe that the surgery would fail, not on you. I know you'll be able to live as a ninja again soon."
He wondered if she'd be able to say that so steadily if she knew the truth about how low his chances of survival were, and if he should tell her about it while he had this chance. That would at least give her the chance to brace herself for the possibility of his death. However, he knew he'd be unable to get the words out even if he did try to tell her; any courage he had drained right out of him at the thought of upsetting her. Which, he told himself, was another reason that he would not let himself die there. Not when she had no idea the surgery was so dangerous, and no reason to expect that there would be a consequence worse than Tsunade being unable to heal him. "Thank you Sakura-chan!" he said, forcing his voice to stay cheerful. "I know that there's nothing to fear when I have the power of your belief supporting me!"
She nodded, and squeezed his hand once more before letting it go. "But not just mine, Gai-sensei believes in you too! And I'm sure your team mates do, and I know Naruto and Kakashi-sensei would like you to get better, and, oh, everyone would, even if they can't be here. And there's no way you'd let that many people down."
"All right kids, time's up," Tsunade said, interrupting them from the doorway where she'd been quietly talking to Shizune. "If we don't start soon we're still going to be here in the middle of the night."
Sakura smiled at Lee one last time as walked out of the room. "I'll see you tomorrow, or as soon as they let me, okay Lee-kun?"
"I'm sure you will," Tsunade said, shooing Sakura out the door. "Remember, sake. Tell them I'd like a good daiginjo; I'm gonna deserve it by the time we're through here."
Tsunade began to shut the door, and on a whim Lee called out, "Sakura-chan!" When she glanced back at him he blew her a kiss, as he had the first time they'd talked at the Chuunin exam. That last glimpse he had of her before the door clicked shut showed him that this time she wasn't even trying to dodge.
He lay back in the hospital bed, closing his eyes as Shizune prepared to anesthetize him. He wished Gai-sensei was waiting out there with her, he'd know what to say to prepare her for the worst even if Lee himself had been unable to. He thought that maybe he was just as unworthy of her as Sasuke was if he couldn't even bring himself to warn her about what might happen. He swore to himself that he when he next saw her he'd apologise for misleading her, and that he'd tell her the truth first thing if he were ever in a similar situation in the future. If he couldn't keep that promise than he'd never try to be anything more than her friend again for the rest of their lives, no matter how much he wished for something more. And if he kept it than.... He smiled slightly to himself as the drugs started to make his mind drift. If he kept it, than there was the chance that someday he would find a way to win her heart.
"Remember what she said, Lee-kun," Tsunade said quietly from close at his side. "If you see a long tunnel with a light at the end, or feel yourself leaving your body, or any of those things people say happen, then remember that there's a nice girl out there waiting for you to get better and stay right where you are, because it'll hurt her like hell if you let yourself go."
Although his body felt heavy and sluggish, he forced himself to nod in acknowledgement of her words. Yes, Sakura-chan was waiting to see him again. There was nothing in the world more important than that.
That was the last thing in his mind before he fully fell into his drug-induced sleep.