Hi lovelies! At long last, I have updated! I've decided to change this into the final chapter so that I'm no longer holding out on you. I plan on updating with a revised version in the future that flows better -Gallade

It was cold, but Shikamaru didn't mind all that much. It wasn't uncomfortable like a chilly winter wind, but rather, it was more like floating in a refreshing pool of water.

His chest no longer hurt, and his stomach felt so much better. Everything felt better.

Was this what it was like to die?

He didn't think he minded it at all.

It was relaxing, floating like this, like lying back in the grass and watching the clouds... Except that there were no clouds. There was nothing and it felt a little lonely if he thought about it.

It was nice being here alone, but he didn't want to be alone forever. He'd miss his family, his comrades, and his team, as troublesome as everyone was.

He'd miss the leaf village. Who would be Naruto's advisor when he became Hokage? He couldn't think of anyone more fitting than himself.

What would happen when news of his death reached the village?

His mother would probably break down. She'd lost Shikaku, and now her son was gone too.

Ino would cry and turn to Choji for comfort, but he wouldn't know what to do either. Choji would be devastated without him.

Asuma would have Kurenai and their daughter, but the bearded shinobi would lose his shogi partner, his comrade, and a valued friend all in one.

The village would have lost its greatest tactician since Shikaku Nara.

...And he couldn't forget Sakura. Oh, he'd miss her terribly. It was a pity that he died before they could resolve their dispute. He would never know what it was like to truly have her.

"Please..."

He missed her so much that he swore could hear her voice.

"Please, please..."

Wait - that was her voice. He couldn't be imagining it, could he?

"Sakura?" He cried out weakly.

"Shikamaru?!"

"Sakura!"

He had to find her. She couldn't be in this place too, could she?! The only one here was himself. It was dark and empty.

"Where are you?" He asked, feeling a surge of hope.

"Follow my voice!"

He followed her through the dark, not knowing where he was headed but trusting her completely.

This place is nice, but I think I'll join Sakura over there.

...

Suddenly there was a bright light. He felt warm and there was an increasingly sharp pain in his stomach and chest again. His head hurt.

He felt awful.

Why did I come back to this place? It's full of agony and suffering.

"Please..."

Sakura's voice was soft, shaky, and full of tears.

She squeezed his hand tighter. "I know I heard you just now..." She said. "I know you're still in there."

Shikamaru's eyes opened a tiny crack, light seeping in. It burned his retinas and made the throbbing pain in his head flare. "Sa...ku...ra..."

She gasped and squeezed his hand. "Shikamaru?!" She cried, leaning in.

She threw her arms around him and squeezed. Shikamaru opened his eyes. "Where am I?" He croaked. His throat was sore and dry from underuse, and the effort of talking hurt his head.

"You're at the hospital," she said, her voice full of disbelief.

"I feel like shit..." He groaned, closing his eyes again.

"Please stay," Sakura whispered.

"I'm not going anywhere," Shikamaru said softly.

"I just... I can't believe you're back. They said you were a goner but I wanted to believe... I just... I..." the pinkette trailed off, sniffling.

Shikamaru opened his eyes again and turned his neck slowly. Sakura was at his side, leaning over the edge of the hospital bed. She had tears in her eyes, her eyebrows firmly knit in worry. Her mouth was hanging open slightly, hopeful and unsure if this was just her imagination.

"What the hell happened to me?" He asked, looking at her puffy reddened eyes. He visited the hospital whenever he was injured on other missions and Sakura had usually been the one to treat him. She never reacted like this before.

"They were so sure you were dead," Sakura said, her voice low and hollow. "I... I thought so too. Anzu stabbed through your abdomen with her sword. I tried to heal you right there, but you'd lost too much blood and my jutsu wasn't replenishing it quickly enough. I was so sure you were past the saving point..."

Her voice broke off and tears started welling in her eyes. There were trails along her cheeks where tears had rolled before.

"I'm here now," he said, squeezing the hand that was still holding onto his. "...I'm in so much pain, though."

He attempted to sit up and groaned in agony. "Don't move," Sakura said, "you'll only hurt yourself more."

Shikamaru hissed through his teeth, a searing pain in his stomach as he attempted to sit up. "My stomach and back and chest..." He cried. "What the hell happened?"

"Like I said, Anzu stabbed right through you." Sakura gently pulled back his blankets. Shikamaru's eyes widened as he craned his neck to look at himself.

His entire chest and stomach were covered in bandages that wrapped around his back. Blood had seeped through the bandages on his chest and the left side of his stomach and he could feel a large pad underneath the left side of his back. His stomach seared with pain, no doubt dulled by medication. He had IVs extending from both arms.

He was a mess.

Sakura put the blanket back on him. She squeezed his hand again, and Shikamaru looked at her, his mouth agape. He couldn't form words.

"I was a goner, huh?" He said finally, his voice distant and shocked. "You saved me."

Sakura sniffled and wiped a tear from her face, giving a sheepish smile. "If I hadn't abandoned you in the first place this never would have happened. I'm the one who let this happen to you."

"You're also the one who came in at just the right moment," Shikamaru said, a thankful smile on his face. He squeezed her trembling hand reassuringly. "If you hadn't gotten there when you did, she would have flat-out killed me."

A nurse walked into the room, her face to her clipboard.

"He's awake!" Sakura announced to the nurse.

The nurse looked up, astonished. "He's awake!" She repeated, a smile coming over her face. She approached the bed and began checking the vitals monitor next to his bed.

"Please, miss, why don't you go get yourself something to eat or drink?" The nurse said, turning to Sakura.

She looked worried and began to protest. Shikamaru ran a thumb over her knuckles, looking at the pink-haired kunoichi.

It was at this moment that he realized how weary she looked. Her teary eyes were bloodshot and tired, the brave smile she was putting on drooping slightly at the corners. Her hair was disheveled as well.

"I guess you're right," she sighed, getting up from her seat by the hospital bed. "I'll be right back, okay Shikamaru?" She said, looking at him forlornly. He nodded and she left the room.

"You know," the nurse began once the pink-haired kunoichi was out of the room. "She hasn't left your side once since she brought you in here. We told her to leave and get some rest but she refused. She's been diligently holding your hand and praying for your life for three days now."

Shikamaru's eyes widened. "Three days?!" He cried, his voice cracking and causing him to cough a few times.

The nurse began flushing his IVs. "Three days."

He was completely unaware that he'd been out for so long. No wonder Sakura was worried sick.

But she stayed by his side and held his hand for three days, desperately hoping he would pull through.

She cared about him.

His chest filled with a numbing, dizzying warmth.

"I'm going to get some fresh bandages for you," the nurse said, leaving the room. "I'll be right back."

Sakura really had saved his life.

He listened to the beeping monitors beside him and thought about the plethora of information he had absorbed.

Anzu had nearly killed him, but Sakura showed up at just the right time. The more he thought about it, the more his memory came flooding back.

He had jumped in front of Anzu's sword, taking the blow that was meant for Sakura. He hated to think about what would have happened if they hadn't switched places and Sakura received the near-fatal blow. With his lack of medical ninjutsu, she would have been toast for sure. The thought was too much to bear.

The nurse and Sakura had returned to the room at the same time. The former carried bandages and large pads of sterile gauze, the latter carrying a napkin with several cookies inside.

Sakura took her seat beside Shikamaru, her smile growing as soon as she laid eyes on him.

"Alright, time to change your dressings," the nurse said. She pulled back the sheets and revealed Shikamaru's bandaged chest and abdomen.

Sakura grabbed a hold of his hand again and squeezed. He looked at her, surprised. Her relieved smile was beautiful and it made him smile too. He wasn't sure if she held his hand for his benefit or her own, but either way it felt good.

He winced as the nurse unwrapped the bandages on his chest. The bandages were sticking to his swollen, sore skin.

She gasped a little and Shikamaru winced again, the air hitting his exposed skin. He looked at the injured areas and felt his stomach lurch even more.

His chest and stomach were in an awful state. He had three deep gashes on his chest from where Anzu whipped him. They were covered in dried blood and they were oozing slightly. His stomach was red and raw, black stitches holding a large seam shut. The pain in his back made him realize that there were probably stitches there, too.

The nurse began to cover his wounds in gauze. He looked at Sakura, horrified.

She nodded solemnly and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. She attempted a smile.

They waited until Shikamaru was all bandaged up and the nurse had left the room before speaking again.

"You lost so much blood that they induced a coma," Sakura said softly. "I was honestly afraid that you wouldn't pull through. I can only do so much with my medical ninjutsu."

Shikamaru gave her a lazy smile. "I wouldn't leave you just yet..."

Sakura sniffled and smiled. "Oh!" she said, picking up the napkin of chocolate chip cookies. "I brought these for you," she said. "Anzu tore through your stomach with her sword, but I made sure I was the one who repaired your organs. It's safe for you to eat if you feel that you can. Want one?" She held them out in offering.

He obliged, and though he didn't feel hungry at all, the sweet confections looked delicious.

He took a bite of the cookie, savoring the first bite to hit his tongue. It was sweet and the dough tasted like salt and brown sugar.

"The town's leader stopped in and thanked us," Sakura said. "He's been corresponding with Tsunade this whole time. He's glad that the problem will now come to a halt. He gave me a scroll to give to Tsunade and the leaf has definitely gained an ally now," she explained, her voice sounding hollow and distant.

"Aren't you happy?" Shikamaru asked gently.

Sakura looked at him sadly. "It's great and all, but..."

She squeezed his hand and looked at him sadly. "The cost was almost too much."

Tears spilled down from her emerald eyes.

"I almost lost you," she whispered.

Shikamaru looked at her, his eyes wide and his heart beating fast.

He held tight to her hand. "I thought you wanted nothing to do with me."

Sakura's face fell a little and she looked like she was carefully choosing her words. "The more I thought about that whole Temari situation, the more I realized I overreacted without hearing what you had to say. I was just confused about my feelings and it hurt to think that you wanted her instead."

He looked at her, astonished.

Sakura sighed and continued. "I came back to the hotel that night, hoping that you'd forgive me, and I saw your note. I waited a little, hoping that you'd come back, but you didn't. I was so worried."

She'd resorted to nervously rubbing her thumb across the back of his hand. "I set out and searched for you. When I got to the restaurant, it was closing and you guys weren't there. That made me even more nervous."

"I scoured the streets in hopes that I could pick up on either of your chakras, but I found nothing. I went to the police and they laughed in my face. They told me that men go missing all the time and there was nothing they could really do. That made me so angry! I asked them why that didn't concern them more and left."

Shikamaru chuckled, picturing the hotheaded kunoichi going into the police station and demanding that they help her. He felt immediate gripping pain in his torso as he laughed.

"I searched the town again for your chakra signature and didn't find it, which scared me even more. I was exhausted so I returned to the hotel to think and found the room torn apart. I knew that Anzu had been there and was searching for me. I didn't feel her anywhere near the hotel and I made the mistake of sitting down for a second. The next thing I knew, it was nighttime. I had fallen asleep early that morning and slept through the whole day!"

"I was so panicked that I ran out of the hotel and searched for you again. I felt a strong surge of her chakra and broke into the house I felt it in. There was no one around but as I approached the basement door I could hear her screaming at you so I broke in."

Shikamaru shook his head in astonishment.

Sakura had been looking for him all along. Anzu had gone to the hotel room as he had feared, but Sakura had avoided her. There was one thing that she said that made him wonder about something, though.

"I can't thank you enough for saving my life," he said with a smile. "...But what did you mean when you said you were feeling confused?"

"What do you mean?" She asked, blushing slightly.

"You said you were confused about your feelings."

Her face pinkened some more and she looked to the side, holding out the napkin of cookies. "Want another?" she asked, avoiding both his gaze and the question.

Shikamaru smirked and accepted a cookie. "You're avoiding me, so I'm going to ask again. What did you mean?"

She was silent, her face burning with embarrassment.

"Maybe it'll be easier if I start," he said. "Let's see... Well, I've loved our time together on this mission. Spending all of this time with you had been amazing."

She nodded slowly, a gentle smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"I agree. I've had so much fun and... it's made me realize that I honestly don't want to lose you when we go home. I... I like how things are now."

Shikamaru felt his heart skip a beat. This was it.

He put his other hand over hers and she looked at him with wide emerald eyes

"Things don't have to change if you don't want them to," he said gently.

Sakura still looked shocked. She sat there for a moment or two, her mouth open slightly and her eyes wide. She furrowed her brow and looked at him, determined.

Without any words said, she leaned in close and kissed him on the cheek.

Without missing a beat, Shikamaru tilted his head up and stole a kiss on her lips

He pressed his lips to hers with a gentle passion, and immediately his face flushed. He wasn't kissing her in the middle of the street as her pretend husband; he was kissing her as himself.

She had responded eagerly, making a soft sound and pressing her lips to his. She tasted his lips again and again, her eyelids and head feeling heavy. Her heart raced, all of her bottled-up emotions spilling out. She wasn't confused any longer.

She pulled away from the kiss, a giddy smile on her face and tears in her eyes. "I should have known," she whispered.

Shikamaru opened his eyes slowly and looked at the beautiful girl before him. She was crying and smiling at the same time, sheepishly grinning as she wiped a tear away. "I'm sorry," she said.

Shikamaru frowned a little, concerned. "But I'm okay now, and it's all thanks to you," he cooed softly. "There's no need to cry. I realize more than ever now that I love you, Sakura Haruno. I have for a while, now."

She held a hand over her mouth, more tears falling as she blinked.

"I love you too, and I'm so sorry that it took me this long to realize it. I'm sorry that it had to come to this."

Shikamaru held her hand and kissed it softly. "I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason," he said calmly. "Even if it's a drag. I'm still here, and I have you to thank for it."

She rested her head against his shoulder and sighed contentedly.

"Thank you, Shikamaru."

Soooo? What did you think? :) As always, reviews are appreciated.

Originally I intended to have one final chapter filled with lemony goodness, but it gave me so much writers' block that I ended up not publishing all of the other already finished chapters for years. I'm so sorry about that! For anyone who has been waiting for the end of this fic - thank you so much for your patience!

Now that version 1 is out there, I will be revising it to make it flow better and have fewer cringy parts and plot holes. I hope to add that lemon onto the end in the revised version ;)

-Gallade