Shanan wasn't at all surprised to wake up in the hospital this time. Technically she was never supposed to have left in the first place. She was, however, surprised that nobody was there waiting. She didn't think that Sasuke had been beaten badly enough to require a hospital stay and surely they wouldn't have just been sent out on a mission while she was out.

She was still trying to recall everything that had happened when the door suddenly opened. This time it was Sasuke and he had flowers and what seemed to be a small gift for her. He looked surprised, but very happy to see that she was awake as he smiled warmly at her, he seemed to be feeling much better.

"Sasuke…" Shanan said, fighting back tears already.

He set the flowers and the box on the counter and then started to walk towards Shanan's bed, but she met him halfway as she ran up and hugged him tight around his neck. They were the same height now she noticed.

"You seem to be recovering faster," he said quietly as he smiled. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and breathed in the scent of her hair as he squeezed her gently. "It hasn't even been a whole day."

Shanan tried to fight them, but she was never good at not crying. She could turn herself into water, so tears always seemed to fight her back. "Sasuke, I'm not mad at you, I promise. Please tell me that it was the curse mark, I know it was."

Sasuke leaned back a little so that he could see her face. "It was," he said as he brushed the hair out of her face.

He looked really content and was being really calm.

He looked into her eyes and wiped her tears. "Don't worry, it won't happen again. Promise you're not mad at me?"

Shanan looked back into his eyes and nodded. She knew that the boys would never truly try to kill each other, but Sakura had a tendency for being overly dramatic.

Sasuke was just inches from Shanan's face as he held her close by her waist. "Please don't ever hate me," he whispered as he leaned his forehead against hers.

The tears continued to stream down Shanan's face. She could never hate him, how could he ever even worry about such a thing?

"I love you so much," he whispered through teary eyes.

"I love you so much too, Sasuke." She felt like her heart was going to beat out of her chest.

Sasuke looked deep into her eyes, still smiling contentedly as he brushed her cheek with his hand and then leaned in to kiss her.

It felt as though Shanan had completely sunken into him and like she was floating away at the same time. She had expected her first kiss to be sweet, but this… she never expected to feel so much love being poured into her. So much tenderness. So much devotion. Never in her life could she question how Sasuke felt about her. Ever. Not after this.

As for Sasuke. This is exactly how he'd always planned to kiss her. This was the only kind of kiss that she would ever deserve. He wanted to make sure that she never, ever forgot how much he loved and adored her and how much he always would. And he wanted to remind her, every single day for the rest of their lives.

It felt like they had completely transported themselves to a place where time no longer existed. Sasuke pulled her so close, but still held her so delicately. While Shanan was squeezing him so tightly. And their chakras were going crazy as they flowed through their lips. Shanan had never felt it cycle like this, it almost felt as though she were giving him every ounce of her chakra and replacing it with every ounce of his chakra. If she could've opened her eyes she might have seen an aura around them. But she couldn't open them and she didn't want to.

Sasuke was the first to finally pull away as he immediately kissed her nose. "I've been waiting so long to do that," he said with half a smile. He leaned his forehead against hers again and looked into her eyes as he held her hands. "Do you still wanna marry me?" he asked her, whispering.

Shanan nodded gently. She was starting to feel really overwhelmed with too many emotions and words felt difficult all of a sudden.

He pulled her in for another hug and squeezed her as tight as he could and for a long time.

"I should go," he finally said to her softly as he leaned back.

Shanan wasn't ready for him to go. He had just gotten here.

"I'll be back. I promise," he said as he pulled her face close and kissed her lips again before looking her in the eyes once more. "I promise."

Shanan nodded again. "Ok," she said softly as she smiled at him.

"Open your present and read your card tomorrow morning, ok?"

"I will," she promised.

They gave each other one last hug and one last kiss before Sasuke opened the door.

"I love you, Shanan," he said gently.

"I love you, too," she said shakily.

She really didn't want him to go yet, but she was suddenly so exhausted that she couldn't physically ask him not to leave. She realized that all of that hugging and kissing had led to an excessive amount of chakra absorption and she had to lay down or she was going to faint. She hurried back to her bed as best she could and passed out as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Sasuke closed the door and immediately started sobbing. He stood there for a few minutes and strongly considered going back in, but he knew that he'd never be able to protect Shanan from anyone if he didn't leave. He would never be strong enough. And if he happened to avenge his clan along the way, then so be it.

He finally calmed himself down before grabbing his bag that he'd set outside of her door and made his way to the meeting spot that he'd set up with the Sound Four Ninja.