Flowers on the Grave

Pairings: past LeeSaku, (eventual) LeeIno

Setting: Konoha

POV: Ino

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Kishimoto-sama. : )

Summary: Sakura died during a mission, after giving up on Sasuke, and starting a relationship with Rock Lee. After Lee heard the news he was devastated, and isn't coping too well even years later. Ino has watched Lee buy flowers every morning to put on Sakura's grave, and after all this time her feelings towards him change.

Rewritten 4/23/14 hope the changes helped : )

It was early in the morning when I headed to my parent's flower shop. I had been tasked with running it for three months now. They were called away on a mission in the land of grass. A strange disease had taken root in their crops, so my parents were sent to study it in hopes they could contain and stop it from spreading. Many of our rice and fruits are grown in the land of Grass, so the Hokage made it top priority to investigate and study the disease.

So I've been running the shop by myself. I can't lie and say it's terrible to get a break from the hospital. It's truly a tiring job. Just the thought causes my head to ach at times, but Tsunade gave me a leave of absence as long as my parents were away to look after their shop. I've also been relieved of most of my shinobi duties, which is fine too. It's nice to have such a calm job after all these years of fighting.

The air was cool and the streets weren't too busy for a Friday morning. The crowd was mostly people headed to work or school for the day. There were a few academy children, who pushed by me on their way through the streets all the while giggling and laughing. They were probably just excited it was the last day before the long break for the chunnin exams. Academy children get to have off the whole week during the chunnin exams to free up teachers to use as exam proctors.

The chunnin exams…. it was about this time seven years ago.

"Ino-san, there's another injured genin in room 5." called a frantic voice from the hall.

The end of the chunnin exams were always chaotic in the hospital. Genin from all over the shinobi nations come to Konoha, and usually a great number of which become injured, whether seriously or not didn't make it any less chaotic. It's a stressful time dealing with a bunch of injured children, many of whom weren't ready for such a violent test of skill.

I made it half way there when I heard a scream from the lobby entrance, followed by my name being called. My heart nearly stopped at the sound of Shizune's voice when she screamed. It wasn't a tone I've ever heard her voice reach before, but it was hers. Something terrible had happened. My feet planted to the floor. In my heart I knew if I went nothing would be the same, but I forced myself anyway it was my duty. I ran around the corner and into the lobby as quickly as I could.

No amount of training would've prepared me for what I saw. Pink, orange, red. The only colors that registered in my mind. It was like time stopped. My feet were glued to the floor and my voice was stuck in my throat. Pink, orange, red. The colors were all I could see, no they were all I'd allow myself to see. I couldn't look beyond the colors. I couldn't look at the faces.

Pink, orange, red….

"Ohayo, Ino-san." A familiar voice called out to me pulling me from the past.

Lee. It shouldn't have surprised me he'd be waiting for me to open up the shop, in fact he was here every morning without fail.

"Ohayo Lee-kun." I tried my best to smile but I must have failed.

"Ino, you seem to be lacking the power of youth this morning." Lee pointed out in a concerned tone.

I knew he was trying hard to sound like his old self, but it wasn't the same anymore. Nothing was. All I could do was force a smile for both of our sakes just so we can make it through the day. Watching him tore at my heart. Every day he stopped here. I watched him for months stop here every morning for her.

"Ah, yea I'm feeling tired lately." I lied.

"If only I had packed some of granny's curry with me..." he said aloud.

"No, no, I'll be fine." I insisted enthusiastically.

I unlocked the door to let us both into the shop. Lee waited patiently for me to go get his order, which I'd started to prepare at night ages ago. I wish I could tell him to move on, but it's not really my place to do that. Even if it was my place, how could I even begin to tell him to move on? I couldn't. I tried to word it in my mind, and nothing worked. It all sounded so cliché. The truth is that I've felt my heart breaking a little every morning for three months. I wish I could find the right words.

"The flowers here are always beautiful." He spoke softly as if his voice was strained.

I handed him the special bouquet. A bouquet I can still recall making for the first time. It was Sakura who had come here requesting my services for her wedding. She refused to let me pick any flowers for her. I was irritated at first, but I gave in after some time of arguing with billboard brow. She created this bouquet herself. Yellow daffodils and purple tulips. It was an odd combo but it's what she wanted. It turned out very pretty, and I was wrong to argue with her.

"Thank you." Lee said with a bow before leaving.

It was like this every morning. Lee would wait outside the shop until I opened up. It didn't matter if he was tired, or if it was raining or snowing. He waited faithfully for that special bouquet, the flowers he took to her every day.

It was heartbreaking to watch, and after a while my chest began to ache each time he thanked me for the flowers. I found myself thinking a lot about Lee and if I could help him. I really wanted to help him. I owed Sakura that. She was my best friend. I just didn't know how to help.

I thought for days what I could do to help Lee and I finally came up with an idea.

That night I set out with some purple tulips and yellow daffodil plants and headed to the cemetery. It was the least I could do after sitting idly by and watching Lee suffer for so long. I hope it's enough, was all I could think. I stayed up all night planting tons of flowers all around her grave, so he'd never have to buy her flowers again.

I'm sure most people could've planted the flowers much quicker, but I wanted them just right. I wanted them perfect for Lee. It had to be perfect for him. I caught myself thinking this way and wondered why….could it be I cared too much? Is it possible to care too much for a friend? No…right?

I sat down and waited until the sun came up, soon Lee would be at the flower shop waiting for me. I felt a little bad about not being there, but I put up a note the night before I left stating the shop would be closed for the day. I was sure he'd come here without the flowers, and I was right.

After a while of waiting he gave up and headed out this way I could see his head hung low, and my stomach ached and my heart pounded. Lee. I'm sorry is all I could think as he approached her grave. I watched as his eyes widened noticing all the flowers, and then finally noticing me sitting there.

"Ohayo Lee-kun." I called out somewhat akwardly.

"O-ohayo….where did all these come from?" he asked.

He looked at me with an expression I was unsure of…I couldn't tell if he was happy or sad, or angry. My heart thumped wildly in chest, and my stomach flipped and flopped. His eyes scanned the area, and I was sure he was going to cry. I felt badly. I couldn't stop fidgeting. I was sure I'd messed everything up.

"Ino-san, you did all this for Sakura?" Lee asked with wider eyes than usual.

I was going to reply yes, but I realized it was a lie. She was my friend and I loved her, but I really did this all for Lee. I did this for Lee. I felt my face growing hot. Is this what love feels like?

"She was my friend, and I miss her too….. but I didn't really do this for her…."

I stepped closer to Lee and looked up at him. My eyes were full of tears at this point, and I tried to stop the tears, but they kept building up. All of sudden my legs felt weak standing in front of Lee. He looked surprised and confused.

"Why then?" Lee asked me.

I'm in love with Lee. I couldn't believe it but I knew it was true. This is love, this pain in my chest for Lee. It's love. It's been there all along. I could feel my face grow hotter by the second. He was waiting for an answer and being Lee, he needed to be told clearly.

"I did this for you, because… I'm in love with you!"

"Ino….you…love me?" Lee asked astonished.

"Yes." I managed to answer while looking away from his eyes.

I couldn't look into his eyes. He was hurt. I shouldn't have confessed to him, not here not now of all times. How could I be so stupid? I can't explain why I thought it was the right time to tell him, I shouldn't have done that. Sakura was engaged to Lee. My best friend, I was supposed to be her maid of honor, and here I am confessing my feelings to Lee on her grave. I'm terrible.

"L-ee, I.." I started to speak but he interrupted me.

"I'm sorry…I can't return your feelings because I made a promise. I promised Sakura I would love no one but her." He told me with tears running down his own face as he bowed.

Lee was never going to love anyone but her. It was wrong for me to tell him, but even so Sakura wouldn't have wanted him to be alone for the rest of his life I know it. Thinking about it made me realize Sakura would want him to move on, maybe not with me but with someone. She was probably watching him in despair as he delivered flowers daily to her. Her heart probably broke watching him. Seven years of flowers and loneliness. She's been watching him tear himself apart for seven years.

My eyes overflowed at the thought.

"I'm sorry, but she must be sad watching you torture yourself like this."

I watched as Lee's eyes softened in realization. I imagine he wondered how he would feel if the roles were reversed, and Sakura visited him daily not really living. His tears flowed freely.

"You think Sakura-chan is really watching over me?"

"Yes, I believe she is, and I'm sure she's worried about you."

"I'm sorry Sakura-chan for worrying you." He whispered lowering his eyes.

We stood there in front of Sakura's grave for quite some time in silence, I wondered what he was thinking, and then I noticed he had a faint smile. He must have been remembering some fond memory he had with Sakura. It felt wrong for me to be there still. I cleared my throat to speak.

"Well it looks like you're feeling better I'm going to head home now."

I started walking away when a warm hand grasped mine, and tugged me backward. My heart thumped. It was Lee who grabbed my hand. I was confused by his actions. He already turned down my feelings.

"Ino-san, please excuse my bold behavior, but I can't leave things like this." He spoke sounding a little like his old self.

"What?" was all I could say through my surprise.

"Just now I made a new promise to Sakura-chan." He announced to me.

"What kind of promise?"

"I promised her I wouldn't make her sad anymore. That I will always love her, but I need to move on, to be happy again, so she can move on and be happy too."

"Lee…."

His hand was still grasped onto mine, and I could feel my face getting hot again.

"I don't know if I can ever love someone like I loved Sakura, but I would like the chance to try."

"I mean if you still feel that way about me…" Lee replied anxiously.

I nodded, unable to speak. It was the first time I'd felt this way around any man. Normally I'd just flirt or ask a guy out without hesitation but Lee was different. I couldn't do anything but stand there as he wrapped his arms around me in a hug.

"Thank you." was all he said as he hugged me tighter.

The next morning Lee came to the flower shop to see me. He was smiling for real. I haven't felt this happy in some time. I don't if he'll love me like he did Sakura, but I love him and that's all I need for now.