Fall from Innocence

1

Even though it was still closer to summer than winter, Haruno Sakura pulled her hooded jacket tighter around her body as a chilled wind swept through the evening streets. The maroon color made the bubblegum-pink tone of her hair glimmer surreally in the light coming from the street lamps as she descended the marble steps of Konoha's seven story hospital and started for home.

"Sakura."

Rock Lee fell fluidly into step beside her. She turned her face to his, tucking a wayward strand of her hair self-consciously behind her ear. They continued to take the road to her house. "Hi, Lee. You didn't have to come all the way out here for me."

He shook his head, a pensive look on his usually-cheerful face. "I've been meaning to talk to you about something. I didn't know when you were off, so I just waited for you to come out."

This time she stopped, gaping at him. "You waited for me out here all day?" He stopped as well, turning back to her and cocking his head.

"Yes."

She blinked, then shook her head and gave him a soft smile. "You're a strange guy, Lee." They started walking again.

"Strange in a good way, I hope," he cracked a smile at her but to Sakura it seemed fake, forced. What was up with him?

"So, what did you need to talk to me about, Lee?" she asked, combing her hair back with her fingers again as another cool gust of air blew past them. He shook his head.

"Can you give me a minute? I'm trying to figure out how to say it properly."

She nodded, suddenly feeling apprehension clench at her gut. Figure out what? What would he say that he needed to try to break to her gently? Whatever it was, it couldn't be bad. He had come to see her, and waited all that time after all. He didn't look mad. Did I do something wrong? The streets were almost empty except for a few older people hurrying home from their jobs or from shopping before it became completely dark. They were the only two headed toward the east end of town: the slightly more well-to-do families lived here—the first time she had brought her teammates to her home, Naruto had almost popped his eyeballs out from their sockets staring at everything. Sasuke, however, had been used to it. He lived in the north sector of Konoha, which was even more impressive than this. Although (Sakura's brow unconsciously furrowed) ever since the Uchiha Massacre all those years ago, the upper-class homes had shifted north-east, away from the abandoned house and its dark, mysterious husk.

"Here's fine," Lee murmured and Sakura pulled herself out from her spiraling train of thought. She cleared her throat and looked over at him, fitting a smile onto her face.

"Fine for what, Lee?" she asked.

He seemed to ignore her for the moment, looking around them. She did too. They had followed the path onto a small rise that signified the elevation into a higher-class part of town. She could see the lights of houses and buildings before her and behind her, but here, on the street, the darkening evening sky was only punctured by a few lamps on either side of them. He nodded, more to himself than anything, and turned to face her completely, arms crossed almost defensively over his chest. His eyebrows were pulled together in a concentrated frown, his eyes downcast.

"Lee…?" she tried again.

"Sakura…" he spoke her name, trying to begin, then shook his head. "Do you know, how long it is—exactly—that I've been asking you to go out with me?"

She stared at him, at first not understanding the question. When her brain computed it, she let out a half-surprised, slightly shaky laugh. "What?" she forced herself to say, unsure of how to answer. Is he serious?

His face expressed nothing but sincerity. "How many years have I asked you to date me?"

Taken aback by his directness, Sakura suddenly found the ground between her feet very interesting. Forcing herself not to look into his dark eyes, she counted backwards in her head. "About… Five years?"

"Five years, seven months, twenty eight days," he answered without missing a beat. She gaped at him. He'd actually counted?

"Lee, I don't—" she started.

"Please, Sakura, let me talk. I may lose my nerve if you interrupt me again."

She shut her mouth.

"For more than five and a half years, I've chased you," he took a deep breath and let it out, dropping his arms to his sides. She watched his hands fumble clumsily for something to clutch onto. He hooked his fingers into the belt tied securely around his waist and continued. "I've told you almost every chance I could that I liked you. At first, I tried winning you over. When that didn't work, I simply tried asking you. I've even debated challenging you to a match and make you go out with me that way." He laughed at this last part. "But I couldn't. I mean, I couldn't bear to hurt you. I'd let you win, and it'd be pointless, wouldn't it?"

"Lee…" she said softly.

He blatantly ignored her this time. "The point is, I'm the one doing all the chasing. After five and a half years of one-sided attempts, I've finally gotten the hint. So, it's come down to this." He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes, steeling himself, then opened his eyes and gazed upon her with a mixture of helplessness and hope that crushed her heart. "Do you care enough to try? Does what I feel matter to you?" He shook his head. "That's unfair. To put it another way: this is my last attempt. If you turn me down here, I will know that you don't have any interest in me, and I'll stop. No more confessions, no more asking outs. Of course," he smiled a little sadly, "I'll still be your friend and I hope you'll still be able to trust me. But…" he made a vague gesture with his hand, "I'll stop bothering you with how I feel. I don't think it's very kind of me to keep forcing my feelings upon you, and if it truly bothers you, then after this, you won't ever have to worry about me trying anymore. I promise."

He smiled. Smiled. And Sakura was suddenly about to burst into tears. She reigned in her emotions with self-control she didn't know she had until just now, took a deep breath, and opened her mouth to answer.

He held up his hand as if to stop her voice. "Please, wait." Her mouth automatically snapped closed again. He grinned at her, and she noticed that his own eyes were not exactly dry. Oh, Lee…

"I don't want you to answer me now," he said slowly. "In fact, I just want to continue walking you home, if that's alright with you." His forced smile carried up to his eyes, crinkling them shut. "If you could at least do this for me: think about what I've said for one week. Give me your answer then."

She knew he wanted her to answer this time. Taking in a slow, deep breath, Sakura gave him a tiny smile. "I'd like you to walk me home, too. And, yes, I'll think about everything you've told me. I'll tell you my answer a week from now." He nodded, turned away from her, and began walking toward her house once more. She followed him in silence, not feeling uncomfortable but still a little shy and awkward about what he had just told her. I never knew. I mean, I knew, but I didn't realize he thought about it this much. And for so long… She kept her eyes on the back of his head, as if trying to read his thoughts that way, to see what made him tick, what he was thinking of himself now that he had said all those things. What he thought of her.

At her front door, she fumbled with her keys, dropped them, cursed silently beneath her breath, and bent to scoop them up but Lee was already there, holding them out to her, a curious half-smile playing on his features. He's always there, more often than not, isn't he? She shook her head, to dismiss the random thought as well as her clumsiness. "Thank you," she said, and meant it for more than just the keys.

"You're welcome," his eyes held hers. He had understood her meaning.

They stood together on the stoop for a long moment, looking at one another. Abruptly: "Sakura, is that you?" came from somewhere inside the house. The moment shattered. Sakura frowned briefly. Dammit, Mom! Something had been happening between them, and she hadn't altogether disliked it.

"Yes, Mom!" she called through the door, slipping the key into the lock.

"See you later, Sakura," Lee said and then he was gone, speeding back down the street the way they had come, all of his earlier quiet contemplation gone, blown away by his speed as he shot from her house like a green kunai. She blinked after him, then smiled and shook her head. Like a little boy. She pushed open the door and stepped inside of her house.

"I'm home!"