Words Meet Heartbeats
"Why didn't you tell me?"
The words are laced with displeasure and accusation, and Shizune hunches her shoulders and stops what she's doing. With trembling hands, she puts the medical equipment she'd been cleaning down, taking a deep breath to steel herself before she turns to face the speaker.
As she had feared she would, the blonde by the door to the make-shift medical wing is livid. Her arms are crossed, and her usually beautiful features are set in a frown, her eyes glaring daggers at her from across the room. She strides forward with long, determined strides, and for a second brunette fears that she'll be on the receiving end of one of her infamous punches.
But she comes to a stop a mere two feet in front of her, piercing eyes demanding an explanation. Shizune's eyes dart around the room, searching for the other medics that are usually there with her. But they have already left, the darkness outside calling them with the sweet temptation of a good night's sleep, and all patients are directed to a separate tent for sleeping and resting. She is the only one there, aside from the furious blonde in front of her.
"Tsunade-sama... I..." her voice falters, unable to form the words necessary to provide her with a fulfilling explanation.
"Why, Shizune," Tsunade growls, taking a step forward, crowding her against the low table. "Why do I have to hear that you died from some Chunin?"
Shizune's mouth goes dry and her throat closes up. In front of her, Tsunade trembles as well, albeit from anger instead of irrational fear. Shizune knows her fear is irrational, because the woman in front of her would never dream of purposefully causing her harm. But she is frighteningly close, her hands now on her shoulders as she repeats her question.
Shaking her head from side to side, the brunette bows her head, not wanting to look into those eyes swirling with rage and hurt. She clenches her hands in the front of her yukata.
"I-I'm sorry, Tsunade-sama," she starts, her eyes stinging with tears threatening to fall. "But I... You've lost so many already... Nawaki, Dan, Sarutobi-sama, Orochimaru-sama, Jiraiya-sama... I didn't want t-to burden you with my death also."
By the time she finishes, all of her pent up tears of loneliness, fear and worry are streaking down her cheeks silently, leaving salty trails in their wake. Manicured fingers under her chin gently tips her face upwards, and Shizune's breath hitches in her throat as she locks eyes with the blonde in front of her. Tsunade's hazel eyes has softened, all traces of angers completely dissipated.
"Shizune," her name falls from her lips with in an intensity that sends a small shiver down the brunette's back. "Don't ever think of yourself as a burden again."
Nodding meekly, Shizune looks away, the intensity in the older woman's eyes too much for her to bear.
"Look at me," unable to disobey even such a simple order, Shizune meets the gaze of the blonde once again. "You're a very important person to me, Shizune. If anything happens to you, I want to know about it. Got it?"
When she nods, Tsunade smiles softly and reaches out to brush some of the tears away with her fingers. For a moment, Shizune just stands there, enjoying the sensation of Tsunade's fingers running across her cheeks. But then she moves forward, arms coming up to reach the blonde's shoulders from behind. She clings to her with fervor, burying her face in the nook of her neck.
"There was darkness everywhere, and I was so... so lonely. I thought I would never get out of there," her tears have dried out, but still tremors passes through her body as she continues to remember the moments before and after her death.
As Tsunade's arms encircle her in an embrace rivaling her own in fervor, Shizune lets out a ragged breath, eyes closing in contentment as her heart beats louder in her chest. Oh how she has longed for this comfort, of being wrapped in the arms of her long-time friend, mentor, guardian.
Soft lips presses against her cool forehead, putting an end to her gruesome tale of her temporary death. Shizune feels an unmistakably warmth spread from her chest to the rest of her body, and she knows that this is how Tsunade expresses her love. Not with words, but with a simple, yet meaningful gesture that says more than a thousand words combined. A small smile lights up Shizune's face.
I love you too, Tsunade-sama.
—-
Author's note: Originally I was going to write Korralin, but then my mind ended up producing this instead. Tsunade is my all-time favorite character which is why I haven't written anything involving her up until now. I've always been afraid that I won't do her justice, and I still am!
This is mostly a friendship oneshot, but if you tilt your head and squint your eyes, you'll see the pairing. If you don't want to, then that's fine; just keep your head upright and your eyes open, and you'll be fine.
Thanks for reading!