Chapter Three: You're The Only Place That Feels Like Home

She sat on one of the many large boulders that lined the bottom of the canyon road, her back leaned against the wall of the cliff, her feet dangling off the end like a child. Her eyes were closed, her expression serene. She loved the sun.

Lee knew this, the sight of her reclining there warmed his heart and he felt once again that jolt of happiness and affection that he felt whenever he knew Sakura was perfectly content. Was she sleeping? He would not be surprised, it was that type of beautiful, lazy day, and after all no one deserved the rest more than she did.

He walked over, sat down next to her, and slipped his arms around Sakura's slim shoulder. The sweet scent of her hair filled his nostrils as he nuzzled her sweetly. He took such a pleasure in this, knowing that he was the only man who had the right to do that. Small things that he was privy to gave him the greatest pleasure.

Every time she smiled, for instance. It was not just the illuminating beauty her face held when happiness exposed itself, it was so much more. It was knowing that happened while she was his, that he was part of creating that, it was knowing that she was happy to be his and not anyone else's. The joy and innocence of that expression just rebounded upon him tenfold. That smile reminded him she was happy that he was hers, that he was the source of it, that he was a part of her, a part that was beautiful and good. All she had to do was smile and he could forgive all.

The way she kissed him on the cheek and told him good morning. It was a basic reeting everyone got. But when she said it, it was genuine in its literal words. They made the morning good for eacho other, the day was a better thing when they were together. The nights they spent outside on the roof, listening to music and just talking. Knowing that they had this special time, knowing she took pleasure in his presence, his words, his meanings.

Those angry little expressions and pouts she was prone to, so funny, so adorable. Just doing that made him feel like he had a purpose, a purpose to fix whatever upset her even for a moment. Getting the opportunity to show her he would make right the most trivial irritations just to make her happy. When she laughed at the things he did, shaking her head at his passionate words and welcoming his goofy actions with a giggle. The world was a happier place when she laughed.

Everything she did, whenever she laughed, spoke, got angry, kissed him, danced, walked, worked, fought, everything. All she did seemed to be done just for him and him only. Everything she did had him thanking her a million times for being alive, being his, and being herself. He thanked her for making a joke, for healing a young man, for saying "Lee, you are so silly!" Thank you Sakura.

He inhaled deeply again, enjoying that smell that made her name seem all the more appropriate. He felt her yawn and smiled as she looked up at him with one drowsy eye. "Lee? What are you doing?"

"Thinking about how happy you make me and how much I love you."

She smiled, and Lee thanked her silently, "You're so sweet. How did I get to be so lucky to have you?"

Bliss deluded his thoughts at these words. "I ask the same thing every day."

Sakura looked out across the road over at the well.

"What is it?" Lee asked, disappointed at the interruption. He looked up in the same direction and saw the answer. "Oh."

Sasuke Uchiha leaned lazily against the side of the well, watching them casually and smirking. Lee slipped off the rock and pulled at Sakura's arm. "Come on, Sakura-chan, let's go."

She would not budge though, she just stared at the other man with unreadable intensity. "No," she said, her gaze fixed, "We were here first, he can leave."

Lee sighed, "Sakura, it does not matter, he is not worth it."

Sakura slid off the rock and started towards Sasuke, smirking. "Do you mind, Uchiha?" She called out to him, "Lee and I are kind of in the middle of something, and frankly, you are interrupting."

Sasuke straightened up and laughed. "Yeah, sure I'll leave you two love-birds alone. Just don't do anything I would not do."

"And what is that supposed to mean? I'm a woman, emoting is kind of something I can't restrain myself from."

Sasuke snorted, "I just meant you might want to restrain yourself in other areas. Can't have you getting pregnant on a mission now, can we? I mean, we've already seen you when you are menstrual, I would hate to see you when you're knocked up."

"That is quite enough!" Lee shouted, "How dare you speak that way to her? You have gone much too far!"

But boundaries turned out to be out of the picture. Sakura tackled her former teammateto the ground, using evey ounce of super-strength she possessed and punching him in the stomach repeatedly. To Lee's chagrin, Sasuke took it, just laying there motionless until Sakura finally finished. Sasuke smirked at her, "So you couldn't spank me, I know you would get a kick out of that."

Lee grabbed Sakura around the waist and pulled her back before she got a chance to pounce on him again. She screamed, kicked, and cursed as Lee pulled her away using every ounce of his strength. He glared at Sasuke, "Youhurt her like that again and I will see to it that those sharingan eyes of yours are ripped from their sockets."

Sakura froze instantly at these words. She calmed down, smiled, and looked straight at Sasuke, "Yes, then I guess you will be in the same boat as your brother, won't you?"

Sasuke's jaw flew open. "W-what? You saw Itachi?"

Sakura smirked and leaned calmly into Lee's shoulder, wraping her arm around his waist and kissing his cheek affectionately. "Let's get out of here, ok?"

That was what I wanted to do in the first place. Lee thought grudgingly, but then indulged himself in her touch. But for once, her smile did not usher in that flood of warmth, because Lee knew that this time he had nothing at all to do with it.

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AN: This Chapter is embarrassingly short, but I'm going to update with a super long Chapter tomorrow, but that had to end there. Please review