Disclaimer: Naruto copyright Masashi Kishimoto. No copyright infringement is intended. This story was created for entertainment purposes only and if requested to be removed, it will be done immediately and without complaint.
Note: Don't know where I was going with this one... Keyword: Touch.
Touch
He is afraid to touch her. It's not for fear that she'll beat him till he ends up in a coma or anything like that. He is afraid that if he touches her she'll disappear, as if she weren't real. He is afraid of that. He is afraid that this is all one big dream and that the person lying in front of him is actually non-existent and is merely a figment of his imagination. So he withdraws his outstretched hand that is mere inches from her delicate sleeping face.
He cannot believe how close he was to losing her. He had never felt so scared in his life. Not even when he was on the brink of death from having a chidori shoved through his chest or when the Kyuubi had claimed control of his body after going four-tailed.
But he'd do anything; give anything, just to know that she's alive and that this is not just one cruel joke. He feels tears coming, but made no motion to stop them. The others in the room had left long ago to allow him some privacy, something he had been very grateful for. He can feel the tears flowing freely down his face now and his vision blur, but he keeps his eyes trained on her sleeping face. She doesn't stir an inch.
"Sakura-chan… I'm sorry I wasn't able to protect you," he says softly. "I love you… so please wake up."
Finally when the tears become too much and he can no longer distinguish her face through the blurriness anymore, he reaches a hand up to wipe away the tears. He is surprised when he feels the gentle touch of fingers graze the side of his face. He lowers his hand and is pleasantly surprised to see to her smiling—albeit weakly—face staring back at him, arm outstretched and caressing his face.
"I love you too," she mouths back, her voice too weak to be audible. He has never been so grateful in his life nor felt his heart swell so much in joy before. She is alive and real and her touch confirms that.