Written for Day 30 of Sakura Month: A Future With Her

Lee dropped one leg over the edge of the Hokage mountain, the other knee raised up before him, and looked out over his village with a smile. Though he had enjoyed his mission - it was nice to be sent carrying messages to old friends - it was good to be home again.

He tipped his head up as one hand shot out, catching a falling blossom. His smile widened, his heart throbbing almost painfully, as he spun the small, perfect sakura between his fingers. The sight of the little blossom brought his mind naturally around to the lady Sakura.

She was every bit as lovely - she had always been pretty, from when he first set eyes on her, but she had grown and blossomed beautifully. And grown strong, as well - given a fair field upon which to compete she was capable of wreaking as much damage as he could himself.

Lee's smile turned a little dreamy as he recalled watching her literally shatter a battlefield under their enemies' feet.

It had been truly impressive - though not surprising to Lee, or anyone else from Konoha - and left the nin opposing them scattered and panicked even before their forces had properly met in battle lines. And Sakura rising from her crouch amid the crumbling rock, face twisted with ferocity, eyes sparkling, wreathed with dust from the destruction she had created with one sharp blow. . .

Lee shifted, sighing happily as he looked at the little sakura again. It was an image that had certainly imprinted itself indelibly in Lee's mind, though . . . it was perhaps not his very favourite memory of Sakura. His smile widened as his thoughts wandered down that path.

"What are you thinking of?"

Lee tipped the blossom down and caught it in his palm, holding it there with his thumb, and twisted to direct a warm smile at its namesake. "You, most lovely of blossoms." he said softly.

Sakura smiled, picking her way closer and dropping to her knees just as she reached him. Lee began to move, turning to get closer, but she leaned forwards and rested her chin on his shoulder. Lee obligingly stilled, grinning as Sakura wrapped an arm around him, her chest pressed against his back. "Me? Anything special?"

"Everything is special with you." Lee said earnestly. He released the sakura blossom at last, watching the breeze carry it off in a lazy swirl down and away over the village until it swept out of sight. "But. . ." he trailed off.

"Mm?" Sakura prompted, nestling closer and hugging him tight with both arms, pressing a kiss to his neck.

Lee shivered at the caress, feeling buoyant and- Well, he could hardly leap up to do anything to burn off his sudden flare of energy, not without throwing off Sakura's embrace, which he would certainly not. He swung his one dangling foot instead.

"I was thinking what among them all is my favourite memory of you." Lee admitted, feeling his cheeks flush a little. Sakura giggled quietly, shifting up without loosening her grip and kissing his cheek this time, her hair brushing his jaw.

"You're so sweet." Sakura said with a sigh and a warm little sound. Lee reached up and covered one of her hands with his own, thumb rubbing over her knuckles. She wasn't wearing her reinforced gloves at the moment, so the only thing between them was his wraps. "May I ask," she paused, nudging her knuckles into his light hold, "what did you decide then?"

Lee thought of her on the battlefield, the very figure of a wrathful warrior goddess; thought of her smiling brightly in her favourite red dress, waving a farewell at the gates; thought of her stretched out on her bed, flushed and sweaty, hair mussed, gasping under him and pulling him in; thought of the sparkle in her eyes and the brilliant smile when she had accepted his-

"I can't choose." Lee admitted, squeezing her hand. "Every moment I think of is perfect because it is you." He paused, swallowing. "You with me." he added in a softer tone.

He had once thought that impossible, for all that she had stolen his heart away - thought that she would never return his feelings, and he had quashed them down so as not to discomfit her as she accepted at least his hand in friendship.

"I love you." Sakura said gently, twisting her hand and pulling it free to wrap it over his instead. Lee looked down at her slender fingers covering his much broader, blunter knuckles - slender, small, but never delicate.

"You have had my heart since first we met, my lovely blossom." Lee said brightly, rubbing the pad of his thumb over her index finger.

"So that look on your face was because you were thinking of me but could not decide which was your favourite memory?" Sakura asked, chin settling on his shoulder again with a little nudge.

Lee hummed, leaning back a little and resting his weight on his free hand. "I think I know now." he said slowly, thinking again of Sakura's blank pause, then sparkling eyes and bright smile when he had asked her to marry him.

"Oh?" Sakura asked, her arms tightening a little around him. "Would you tell me?"

"Anything." Lee said honestly, earning himself another kiss to the cheek. "My favourite thought of you is that my future is full of you." he said, grinning. "Every memory I have of you will only be joined by many more, for the rest of my life. My favourite is that you wish to have that with me as well."

Sakura squeezed him so tightly it actually compressed his ribs a little, almost uncomfortably, and Lee twined their fingers together as she relaxed her grip a little.

"And our next memory will be our wedding." Sakura said in his ear, filling him with the need to leap up and run or something again. He held himself still, though, despite the excitement and warmth bubbling up in his chest. "Tomorrow. . ."

"Tomorrow." Lee bit his lip.

"Ready?" Sakura asked him, and Lee was concerned for a bare moment before he recognised her almost playful tone.

He twisted in her arms, meeting her sparkling eyes, and grinned again. "For my future with you, my lovely? I have always been ready." He raised her hand and kissed it softly.

Sakura giggled, flushing lightly, and shifted up a little higher on her knees before almost flinging herself at him. Lee rocked a bit, right on the edge of the long drop past the Shodai's face, but wrapped his arms around her in return, holding her close.

"I really do love you." Sakura said with a contented hum, snuggling her head onto his shoulder. "So much, darling."

"I truly could not be happier or more thankful to be looking forward into a future filled with you, Sakura." Lee murmured into her hair.