NARUTO
I'm Nothing Without You
A song-fic starring Lee and Sakura. I can't explain it without spoiling it…
This one-shot features the song How Am I Supposed To Live Without You, by Michael Bolton. I do not own it, or receive any profit for it.
I could hardly believe it, when I heard the news today,
I had to come and get it straight from you,
Rock Lee walked straight up the pathway of Haruno Sakura's house, and knocked on the door. He stood on her front doorstep, shaking slightly as he waited for her to answer the door.
Sakura answered it a minute later. She was wearing a simple pink and black sundress, and a golf-visor.
"Hi, Lee, I was just working out some taxes." She said, tucking a strand of her sugar-pink hair behind her ear.
"Sakura you have to tell me the truth!" Lee exclaimed suddenly, clenching his fists. "Are you planning a wedding?"
Sakura blinked, and she lowered her gaze.
"Well? Are you?"
"Y…yes, Lee." She said, finally. "I am."
You said you were leaving; someone swept your heart away,
From the look upon your face I see it's true…
"It's going to be in The Hidden Sound Village." She added, turning pink. "I…I hadn't told many people yet…"
She looked up at him, with a self-conscious expression in her bright green eyes.
Lee stared back at her, willing himself not to cry. He knew the look in those eyes, he knew Sakura.
She wasn't lying.
Sakura cleared her throat. "Well, come in, I had some tea brewing."
Lee followed Sakura into her single-storey house, mindful that this could be the very last time he ever set foot on those shiny tile floors that Sakura worked so hard to keep clean. Everything in Sakura's house was clean but, as they reached the kitchen, Lee noticed a number of big cardboard boxes strewn out all around the house. Boxes labelled KITCHEN-WARE and LINEN, stuff like that. He also noticed the huge amount of paper work and an old-fashioned abacus strewn out all across the kitchen table. One of the pieces of paper that caught Lee's eye was titled VENUE AND CATERING.
Clearly, Sakura was already in the process of preparing for her big day.
Which Lee would not be a part of.
Lee gulped, as Sakura walked over to the kettle, which was whistling away.
So tell me all about it, tell me 'bout the plans you're making…
"Looks like you're planning a big wedding." Lee commented, as Sakura switched off the kettle.
"It sure is, it's gonna be huge!" Sakura replied, pouring hot water into two cups of Green Tea. "I don't know if he's going to be able to afford it at all! But I'm hoping that he can."
Tell me one thing more before I go…
Sakura and Lee sat at the table outside on the patio, sipping their tea.
"Sakura…" Lee muttered.
"Hmm?" She glanced at him over the ring of her pink-flowered coffee cup.
"Umm…"
Tell me how am I supposed to live without you?
Now that I've been loving you so long…
Lee remembered back to the first time he had ever met Sakura. It had been at the start of the Chunnin Exams, and she had been one of the Konoha Rookie Nine back then. They had met when one of Sakura's ex-team-mates, Sasuke Uchiha, had stopped a conflict between Lee and some other ninjas. Sakura had just been a temperamental bright-eyed girl with long pink hair, overshadowed by the popularity and annoyance of her male team-mates. But Lee had found her to be the most beautiful and caring girl in the whole-wide world.
How am I supposed to live without you?
And how am I supposed to carry on?
Lee had put his life on the line in The Forest Of Death to protect Sakura, and he had promised her that he would become a stronger ninja, just for her.
'The lotus of The Hidden Leaf Village blooms twice', is what he had told her.
When all that I've been living for is gone…
Sakura suddenly stared right into Lee's eyes. "Hey, are you okay? You're eyes are watering."
Too calm for crying, didn't come here to break down,
It's just a dream of mine is coming to an end,
"It's just a piece of pollen, from the flowers." Lee wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "Remember, the lotus of The Hidden Leaf Village blooms twice…"
"I'll never forget." Sakura smiled. "You helped me out so much back when we were Genin."
And how could I blame you?
When I built my world around,
The hope that one day, we'd be so much more then friends…
Who was Lee trying to kid? No way would Sakura ever see him as anything more then a good friend! After all, she hadn't even liked him that much back when they were training to become shinobi! She, like most of the other girls in Konoha, had been too wrapped up in chasing after Sasuke…
Something inside of Lee stirred. Sakura had known Sasuke for a whole lot longer then what she'd known Lee. They had been team-mates, companions, and allies. Lee knew that Sasuke had recently returned to Konoha so…what if it were Sasuke whom Sakura was marrying?
Now I don't wanna know the price I'm gonna pay for dreaming…
Even now it's more then I can take…
Under the table, Lee clenched his fists tightly. Why had Sakura chosen Sasuke over him? Sasuke was a traitor, and a power-hungry-shinobi! Lee, on the other hand, was a dedicated and loyal fighter, and a true friend!
He could hardly stand to think that the love of his life was going to become Sakura Uchiha!
Tell me how am I supposed to live without you?
Now that I've been loving you so long…
"Come on Lee." Sakura said, standing up.
Lee glanced up.
"I'll show you the designs I planned out for the gowns and suits. I was so happy when I was told to plan it all!" Sakura smiled, and led Lee back into the house, and into her large, airy sewing room.
They sat down together on a big leather couch, and Sakura reached over to the coffee table and picked up a heavy blue folder stuffed to the brim with paper and scraps of material.
"See, this is the bridesmaid gown design." Sakura pointed to a picture. "And this is the material." She added, motioning to the plastic sleeve on the following page.
The gown was a soft blue colour, with darker blue highlights and there was a fancy design around the strapless top part. The skirt was floor-length, and flowed down close around the legs. A matching satin blue sash was designed around the waist, complete with a similar choker and gloves. Lee could tell that Sakura had designed it by herself, because of the fine detail and gorgeous colour choices.
"The flowers are going to be little bouquets of lilac-blue and white roses, and a small bracelet on each wrist mad eout of the smaller variety of white roses." Sakura explained as she showed him the petal samples, and Lee just nodded.
"And these are for the ushers." Sakura turned to the next page.
The ushers' suits were, apparently, going to be made out of a kind of grey materiel. They came complete with grey jackets and pants, crisp white shirts and a red rose pinned to each lapel. Lee noticed Sakura's handiwork clearly evident on them, as well, and again he wished desperately to be the one becoming Mr. Haruno Lee!
How am I supposed to live without you?
And how am I supposed to carry on?
When all that I've been living for is gone…
"This is the matching yet unique designs I structured for the Maid Of Honour and the flower-girl." Sakura continued, and turned to the next page. "The flower-girl is Hanabi." She informed him.
"Isn't Hanabi a little too old to be a flower-girl?" Lee asked her.
She shrugged. "Shikamaru doesn't seem to think so – he helped with the role-assigning, and he's also the best man."
Lee wondered then why Sasuke hadn't asked Naruto – after all, they used to be on the same team together, with Sakura. Maybe they were fighting again…
The flower-girls dress was in pink, and the Maid Of Honour's was an autumn-like pale orangey-yellow colour. The designs for the two dresses were basically the same design. But the flower-girls dress was off-the shoulder with puffy sleeves, it was only knee length, and the sash (which was red satin) was above the waist, and had a big bow at the back. Whereas the Maid Of Honour's dress was lower-cut and sleeveless, the bow was on the hips like the bridesmaids' and made of a shiny yellow satin, the skirt came all the way to the floor and there was a white choker to go with it.
Lee thought that if Sakura wasn't wearing whatever the bridal gown was, then she would have looked just as stunning in the Maid Of Honour's dress.
"Hanabi," Sakura told Lee, snapping him out of his reverie, and showing him another sample. "Will be carrying a little basket with pink-white Artist's Delight rose petals, and she'll also be wearing a small hair-tie with white and pink roses." She showed him the second package. "This is for the Maid Of Honour." The rose's colour was a gorgeous hue of yellow and orange, just like a sunset. "We weren't sure how pink and orange would go together," Sakura continued. "But I'm sure they'll look alright once the bouquet, corsages and golden-setting veil are made. The veil is going to have a flower on either side."
"I'm sure it will be lovely." Lee replied. "Did you design all of these things yourself?"
"Sure did, but there's more!" Sakura eagerly flipped over to the following page. "This is what Shikamaru's wearing, see?"
Lee could see, alright! As the best man, Shikamaru would be wearing a suit similar to the groomsmen, except his was in black, the rose was a darker red colour on his lapel, and he was to wear a plain black top hat.
"Look at what the page-boy is going to be wearing!" Sakura exclaimed, showing Lee the next page. "Because he was the previous Hokage's grandson, it's Konohamaru!"
"He's going to look so adorable!" Lee found himself exclaiming, forgetting his sorrows.
The suit that Sakura had designed was an exact replica of Shikamaru's suit, except it was coloured in a sort of white-blue with darker blue tinges. The top hat had a white band, and the rose was small and white.
"Now, Naruto and Chouji are both going to be the ring-bearers." Sakura continued.
Lee blinked. Had he heard right? Chouji?
"Their suits," Sakura showed him the design. "Will match the ushers', but they have top hats as well, and they'll each be carrying the ring on the cushion."
The bands that will link Sakura and Sasuke together forever…Lee though. And cut me out of the picture altogether…
"Now, the grooms' suit." Sakura turned to an extravagantly decked-out page. "Is in this design."
Lee looked. Sasuke would be wearing a snow-white suit, with a dark blue trim, and a dark blue trim on his white top-hat. He would have a red rose pinned to his lapel, and also a white and red corsage on his left wrist.
As Lee looked, he pictured himself wearing that suit and, then, tears really did spring to his eyes.
Now I don't wanna know the price I'm gonna pay for dreaming!
As Sakura turned to the next page, Lee didn't want to look, but he knew that he had to. With watery eyes, he looked at the final page.
The bride's dress was absolutely gorgeous. It was the same snow-white as Sasuke's suit, off-the shoulder and with long white gloves. The top of the gown was adorned with pearls and diamonties, the sash and choker matched each other, and the skirt had at least seven layers, and was large and flowing. The veil was over the face, with a complete crown of snow-white roses, and a long, flowing train.
Lee realised that Sakura would look absolutely perfect in it and, all at once, all resolutions to be mature about this whole situations shattered before him. Because with his hopes and dreams shattering again, he knew deep down that Sakura's were coming true…still…
From the moment he had overheard Hyuga Hinata and her cousin Neji talking about Sakura's wedding that morning, he hadn't wanted to believe it. He ahd run straight to the Haruno's house to learn the truth.
"Sakura!" He cried, with tears streaming down his face. "I don't want you to get married without me!"
Now that your dreams have come true!
Sakura's eyes opened in shock, and she cried: "But I'm not getting married!"
Lee gasped.
Tell me how am I supposed to live without you?
Now that I've been loving you so long…
Sakura put the book back on the coffee table, and took Lee's hands in her own.
"Lee," She whispered. "This is not my wedding. This is the wedding of Sasuke Uchiha and Ino Yamanaka."
"What…???" Lee couldn't believe it, still! "You mean…Ino and Sasuke…not…you and Sasuke…???"
Sakura shook her head. "No, I've just been chosen to help plan it all, and to structure the attire and floral arrangements."
"But…you're moving? I mean…the boxes?" Lee was still very confused.
"Iam moving." Sakura told him. "But not very far. I recently sold my house, and I'm moving into Ino's, because she's moving in with Sasuke."
How am I supposed to live without you?
And how am I supposed to carry on?
Relief flooded through Lee like a rushing river, as he realised that now he had even more of a chance with Sakura! But…
"Are you sad? That Sasuke chose Ino?" He asked her, gripping her hands in his own.
She smiled, and shook her head, again. "No, I'm happy for the both of them. I've grown up, I'm not a little girl anymore."
"That's for sure." Lee smiled at her, and she smiled back. "By the way, Sakura…what's your role in the wedding?"
She winked. "I get to be the Chief Bridesmaid."
"The Matron Of Honour?"
"No, just the Maid Of Honour." Sakura replied. "Why?"
"Oh, no reason." Lee replied. "Just that maybe, one day, you might be able to be somebody's Matron Of Honour…"
Sakura smile grew even wider. "Maybe…" She replied.
When all that I've been living for is gone…