Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

A/N Okay guys this is the last chapter. Leave me some notes on what you thought of this little ficlet! Sasusaku forever!

She had been finishing the process of replicating the antidote when one of the nurses scrambled into the lab.

"Sakura-san! Uchiha-san is going critical! Tsunade-sama needs that antidote stat!"

If Sakura could walk, she would have stood and run straight to Sasuke's room without even thinking. But alas, she hadn't had the chance to give herself the antidote yet. She wasn't sure if she had refined it enough, or if it was even remotely right. The seals were sometimes wrong, so she could only hope the vial she held in her hand would save Sasuke.

The nurse came to her aid and pushed her out of the lab and to the elevators. Two floors down and one wing over, Sakura was wheeled right to Sasuke's private room. The whole trip dragged on for ages, slowed by her anxiety and fear that she could be too late.

She couldn't fail him, not again.

"He's not producing any more chakra and his body is failing! She needs to hurry the hell up!"

Sakura's panic increased tenfold and she almost took it upon herself to take the reins and push herself into the room. It wasn't like the nurse wasn't running top speed, or anything. She was pushing herself to her limits, just to get Sakura to Sasuke in time. Time seemed to slow as they approached the door, but she eventually made it, bursting into the room and calling out, "I'm here, shishou!"

Tsunade didn't even turn to look at her as she replied in a scoff, "Took you long enough."

Sakura would have scowled, but seeing Sasuke halted every single retort in her throat. He was hooked up to an IV drip, plus a blood bag, and his face was covered with an oxygen mask. The monitor was beeping erratically and his blood pressure was reading incredibly low. His skin was pallid, and she could see the sheen of sweat covering his entire body. Looking at the monitor again, she saw his temperature was through the roof.

And this was all because she didn't sense the poison in him until it was too late.

With a hard swallow, Sakura schooled her face and handed Tsunade the vial of antidote. She then rolled to Sasuke's side, taking his unbroken hand in hers and stroking his face. In her most collected and professional voice, she stated, "I think this one will work, According to the scroll, it needs to be injected at the sight of entry, which in this case would be his stomach wound." As Tsunade analyzed the antidote, Sakura looked down at Sasuke and felt her heart sink when she added, "But the poison has been festering for a while and has spread throughout his body so we need to give it to him like a vaccine or-" Just as she looked up from Sasuke, she saw Tsunade had already prepped a needle and was about to thrust it into Sasuke- "Wait, Tsu-"

Before she could stop her teacher, the needle was plunged right into Sasuke's heart, and the scream that tore from his lips afterward rattled her to her bones. Too many times had she heard him cry out in agony, but never like this. It was raw, ripping from his throat in the most tortuous tones that it broke her heart to pieces. He was thrashing, as if he was trying to get away from the pain of the antidote moving through his veins. Behind her, she could hear Naruto breathing heavily and she could only imagine him barely holding it together as he watched his teammate suffer.

After what felt like an eternity, his cries calmed down and he settled back into the bed. He was panting, but his heart rate was evening out and his breathing started to calm, as well. Sakura felt her own fear release the cold grip it had on her heart as Tsunade observed his body with her chakra.

"Well, it seems like the antidote is working," she said softly. "Sasuke seems to be almost free of the poison now. We'll heal up the rest of his wounds in the morning. Well done, Sakura."

She beamed when her teacher turned to her and gave her a proud smile.

"Now, go give it to yourself so you can finish healing your legs," she said after she finished cleaning up. "And then get some rest. Heavens knows you need it."

Sakura turned back to her unconscious teammate, and shook her head softly as she squeezed his hand. "I think I'll stay with Sasuke-kun just a little longer."

She didn't hear Tsunade mumble something about being too selfless, nor did she hear Naruto tell her that he was going to leave to go clean up and let Kakashi know that Sasuke would be okay. All she cared about at that moment was Sasuke's peaceful face and the lessening pain in her own heart.

That night, Sakura administered the antidote to herself. Unlike Sasuke, it wasn't painful. Instead it tingled in her veins, trickling along like ice cold water. She shivered as it spread through her body, laying back on her hospital bed as it took effect. Sakura observed the effects, making note in her head to write all of it down once she stopped shivering. It reminded her of sitting in an ice bath, numbing her entire body. Well, at least the parts that weren't already that way.

It took about an hour for the coldness to wear off, and around that time Naruto came into her room. He was wearing new clothes, hair still damp as if he had come straight here after his shower. In his hands, he was holding two mugs of what smelled like hot chocolate that he probably got from the cafeteria.

"Have you healed your legs yet?" he whispered as he closed the door behind him with nothing more than a soft click.

Sakura shook her head and replied, "I'm going to wait until the antidote has completely taken effect. If I rush healing myself before whatever is blocking my chakra networks in my legs is removed, it could be a waste. I don't want to risk it."

Naruto's brow furrowed as he set the mugs down on the bedside table, but he said nothing, instead pulling up a chair and sitting at her side. The blankets wrapped around Sakura's shoulders were pulled tighter when another tremor shook through her body. This caused Naruto to reach up and feel her forehead- as if he knew what to do if she were running a fever, which she wasn't.

"It's completely d-different for me than in was for Sasuke-k-kun," she commented absently. "The antidote feels like it is revitalizing my ch-chakra pathways, and it's c-cold as it travels through my body. Though it seemed to be hot for Sasuke-kun, maybe because he still had the p-poison in his body when I didn't. I honestly h-have no idea why it's like this. I j-just hope it w-works for both of us."

Naruto fully frowned now. "I just wish we hadn't made those mistakes to get us here in the first place."

Sakura silently agreed. If she hadn't been a careless leader, if she had caught the poison in Sasuke's blood, if she hadn't let herself get cut down so easily, if she had gotten her team out in the efficient manner they were known for- the list goes on and on- this wouldn't have happened. But Kakashi had told her that their injuries were punishment enough for their mistakes, considering the mission was actually completed and not a failure. Naruto snatching a sample of the poison was his get out of jail card, essentially.

"We'll be fine, N-Naruto," Sakura reassured him with a gentle smile.

His frown lessened and he opened his mouth to speak, but there was a knock on her door interrupting him.

"Come in."

The door opened and Shizune stepped in. Her smile was sad, and a little hesitant. "How are you, Sakura?"

"Fine, I guess," Sakura replied with a shrug as another shiver overcame her. "The antidote m-made me cold."

Shizune nodded, a thoughtful look on her face, when she asked, "Have you tried checking your chakra paths yet?"

When Sakura shook her head, she looked to her lap and wiggled her fingers. The cold had been lessening since Naruto came in, almost to the point now where she barely felt it anymore, except for the occasional shiver or two. Naruto gave her an encouraging nod and she moved her hands to her chest. She focused her chakra, feeling it travel through her body and winding around her limbs. Where the obstruction had been before, it was clear. A grin made it's way to her lips and she released her byakugou before performing Creation Rebirth again.

At first, Sakura felt nothing. The familiar energizing sensation of the jutsu ran through her, but she didn't feel any change in her legs. For a moment, she feared the worst and thought the antidote didn't actually work, and that she would be paralyzed for the rest of her life. That if the antidote didn't work for her, that it wasn't going to work for Sasuke and that he was going to die. She failed again and it would cost her everything. Her breathing picked up and her heart thundered in her chest, blocking out any rational thoughts or the encouraging words of the visitors in her room.

She was so enveloped in her panic that she didn't realize she could start to feel her toes again.

Sasuke's conscious mind came to some days after Tsunade injected him with the antidote. He only knew this because Kakashi told him as he was speaking to him when his mind woke up.

"... starting to feel her legs again," he had mentioned. Sasuke was hoping he was talking about Sakura and not some girl in his perverted novel. "I find it funny that she was so worried about it not working she didn't realize it did until Naruto patted her knee and she screamed in pain." Kakashi chuckled, "She told me it reminded her of when your leg falls asleep and then you touch it once the blood flow returns. It was that sharp pins and needles sensation."

There was a shuffling and Sasuke vaguely felt something touch his leg. "Perhaps you can feel this as well. I wouldn't doubt if you were conscious in some way, you could hear me. You are remarkable like that."

If Sasuke was capable of smiling, he would have.

"She wants to come visit you," Kakashi added. "To check up on your progress, see if there's anything she can do for you. But Tsunade told her to take it easy for another couple of days. She'll have to do some physical therapy to get some of her strength back." Kakashi chuckled for a moment and added, "She looked like a baby deer when she tried to walk."

Again, Sasuke wished he was capable of controlling his body just so he could smile.

There was a scuffing noise and he heard Kakashi sigh, "I'd like to stay longer, but I told Shikamaru I was doing a 'super important Hokage thing' and he's currently giving information on a mission to a shadow clone since I was supposed to be back an hour ago."

Silence met Sasuke's ears and he vaguely wished Kakashi had stayed. Being trapped inside his head was not an ideal situation for him, and the one-sided conversations with whatever guest decided to come in his room was the only thing keeping him awake. The company given to him by his teammates tended to reassure him that he was going to be alright. And their comforting words kept him going, even if his body felt like it couldn't fight the darkness anymore. Plus, he didn't mind listening to them ramble on about mundane pieces of life or reminiscing of the better times. It kept him awake, it kept him sane. But now that Kakashi was gone, his body seemed to decide that it was time for more sleep.

He really hated this.

Two and a half years ago

The gates of Konoha loomed over him, high and formidable, and Sasuke took a heavy breath before trudging into the village. The weather in Konoha was starting to turn from fall to winter, dry and cold air brushing past him and knocking leaves off of trees being the tell of the time of year. He always loved when the weather was like this, and coming back now seemed fitting. He garnered it was either late October or early November; it was hard to know what the exact date was when travelling in the wild for months at a time.

After being on the road for over two years made Sasuke appreciate the things that he missed in Konoha, the weather being one.

The shinobi guarding the gates stared at him in awe as he signed the log book, and were too shocked to reply when he bid them farewell. By the time he was walking away, he heard one of them prattle on about how it was Uchiha Sasuke, once again returning to the village.

He smirked to himself and kept moving along. It was early in the morning, before any of the shops opened, but Sasuke knew there would be a certain kunoichi already awake and getting ready for her day. He was about to make his way to her apartment when he felt a flare of chakra, one he was so familiar with that he memorized it's special touch to his soul. He stopped where he was and waited, feeling the signature approach at break-neck speed.

Sasuke realized the irony of his location, noting the bench to his right.

With a smirk, he watched as she rounded the corner and kept running. Her eyes were wide and her smile bright, bright enough he could see her happiness from where he was standing. She rushed forward, so fast that the few citizens out at this early hour barely could make it out of her way in time. From what Sasuke could see, she was already dressed and ready for work, so she must have sensed him on her way to the hospital.

The fact that she ran across the entire village to greet him made a small smile form on his face.

The second she skidded to a stop in front of him, time seemed to stand still. She was here, he was here. He was back and she was here to see it. Her eyes were wide with shock, her chest heaving with pants. But he didn't notice. All he cared about was the fact that she was here. She had waited for him, just like she promised. And he came back, just like he had, too.

Sasuke felt the corners of his lips pull up even more. "I'm home, Sakura."

She beamed, and without waiting she wrapped her arms around his middle and pressed herself against his body. The smile was still on her face as she held him tight, and her happiness was evident in her voice when she replied in a soft murmur, "Welcome home, Sasuke-kun."

"...-kun?"

There was a dull throbbing in his head, a dry tightness in his throat, and an aching pain radiating throughout his body. It was miserable, to say the least.

"Sasuke-kun?"

He groaned. The sound of whoever was saying his name was bouncing around his head and it was not a pleasant feeling.

"Sasuke-kun, can you hear me?"

He pressed past the pain that was enveloping his entire body, and struggled to open his eyes. It was dark, thank goodness, but there was still a bit of lighting coming from the machinery attached to his body. His sight was still blurry, but he could make out the drip hooked up to his arm and the cords that lead to the heart monitor. With a few blinks, he registered that it was Sakura sitting next to him, giving him a teary smile as she clutched his hand with hers.

"Welcome back," she murmured, letting the tears fall down her cheeks.

On instinct, Sasuke clumsily reached up and wiped the tears away. Sakura took his hand and kissed his palm- it was then that he realized that there was no cast or pain, so the broken bones had been healed- then pressed her face against his hand.

"I was so afraid," she whispered against his skin. "I thought we were going to lose you."

With his dry throat, Sasuke only managed to croak out, "-kura..."

She leaned forward and pushed his hair out of his eyes, hushing him and asked quietly, "Are you thirsty?"

He gave the strongest nod he could muster and she reached for the water jug next to his bed. She brought the straw to his lips and he took a few sips before relaxing into his pillow. The water seemed to be the only reprieve from all of the heavy aching he was feeling at the moment.

Sasuke could barely register the faint green glow of Sakura's chakra lighting up the room, and the calming sensation of her healing washed through him, though it did not lessen the pain he felt throughout.

Sakura hummed, and she murmured, "Your body is still recovering from the antidote's effects. It will take a while, but you'll be feeling better in no time."

He grunted in reply. She may not realize it, but his body was still in completely insurmountable pain, and he just wanted it to stop. Couldn't she give him some pain medication, or possibly heal all of it away? It was starting to get unbearable.

"Tsunade told me to come down here as soon as I was done doing my final healing session," she added softly, taking away her magic touch and making Sasuke yearn for it to return. "Some of your wounds were so extensive that even she couldn't take care of them in one night, so she asked me to come in and hopefully take care of the rest."

He managed to open his eyes and stare at her. She was looking into her lap, uncertainty painting her features. Sasuke lacked strength at the moment, but he put whatever he had into reaching for her hands and holding her. She gasped when his fingers fumbled around hers, but quickly turned her wrist around so they could weave their fingers together.

Sakura's eyes were watery again when she looked up to his face, but her smile was warm and loving. "I'm so glad you're awake. It's been over two weeks since we left that rogue base. I thought I wasn't going to be able to see your eyes again."

Sasuke closed his eyes- despite the urge to keep them open and reassure her- and held onto her hand tight. He felt her fear, too, thinking that he wasn't able to protect her. That it was his fault she had gotten hurt because he wasn't there for her, and he wouldn't be there for her anymore because he was going to die. And that if he died, he wouldn't be able to touch her again or smell her or see her bright grin or hear her soothing voice. If he died, he wouldn't have been able to hold her the way he always wanted to.

Sakura began shedding tears openly now, whispering into the still room. "I was so afraid, Sasuke-kun. I thought I lost you. I'm so sorry I couldn't help you sooner. I was supposed to protect you, not because I was the team leader but because I love you and I can't bear the thought of losing you again."

He was waiting for her to say that. Though she hadn't voiced it to him in a very long time, he knew she still felt that way about him. In fact, he had started to feel the same love for her. He had mumbled the sentiment against her scalp when they thought they were going to die by the hands of rogues. He felt it with all his might before she was pried from his body by one of Naruto's clones and he was hauled onto the real Naruto's back. He had always known she loved him, but the overwhelming feeling of him returning her affections had been something he was afraid of since he figured it out over a year ago. But now was the best time for him to tell her outright, instead of before possibly dying or just not at all.

With a shuddering inhale, Sasuke replied, "I love you, too."

Sakura stilled. "What?"

Sasuke's voice was hoarse and barely louder than a whisper, but he did his best to repeat himself. "I love you."

Her eyes got wide and a tear fell down her cheek, forgotten in her shock. "You do?"

He gave her a small nod and squeezed her hand again. "I should have told you sooner."

Sakura's head shook furiously and she leaned closer to him. "No, no... I'm glad you said it now."

"I said it before," he retorted weakly, feeling a smirk tug at his lips. "You just didn't hear me."

She pouted for a moment, and Sasuke felt the sting of his pain vanish for that second. How he loved her, he couldn't say. It just happened. Looking at her now, with her hair in slight disarray and soft blush on her cheeks, he couldn't deny the fact that he just did.

"I can't give you much," he rasped. She glanced up at him and a warm smile graced her lips. "But I can give you what I have."

One of her hands cupped his face and she replied in a breath, "I know."

His exhaustion was sweeping over him again, but he struggled as hard as he could so he could stay awake with her. It was right up there with the throbbing pain leftover from his injuries, but he would fight it all just for her.

"Sasuke-kun," she murmured as she pushed his hair away from his face again. It was soothing. "Why don't you go back to sleep? I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

He nodded and felt the corners of his lips pull up when she leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. That night he slept more peacefully than he had in his whole life.

For the next few days, Sasuke had many visitors. Naruto was the most prominent, coming at least once a day with either food or just to hang out. Sakura came and went when she could, considering she hadn't been discharged from the hospital yet. She came in when none of the medics were in, she came to do her own analysis of his body, and even just came in late at night to talk. Kakashi had come once, casually reprimanding him for their performance but still wishing him a speedy recovery. He even got a bouquet of flowers from Ino, Hinata, and Tenten, a strange thing indeed.

Sasuke, for the most part, was tired. He slept most of the time, not even noticing when someone came into the room to check up on him. He woke up when Naruto came in, mainly because of the smell of real food or the sheer loudness that came from his best friend.

He didn't always wake up when Sakura came in, but her presence alone soothed him more than he thought possible. On the last night of his hospital stay, she came to him as a medic, not his friend- girlfriend? They didn't really establish any titles yet- and handed him a packet of papers.

"Alright, so here's your discharge instructions," she started. "Basically, Tsunade wants you on bed rest for another two weeks. No missions, no heavy activity. Just sitting at home and relaxing."

Sasuke scowled at her, which she promptly ignored with a cute smile.

"She's also prescribed you with some pain medication, just for the residual soreness that we couldn't fix. Also, you are scheduled to come back in a week to check on your progress," she added. When she looked up from her clipboard, she gave him a wink when she tacked on, "Oh, and I'm assigned to give you daily checkups until your bed rest is over."

He raised a skeptical brow at her. "Oh, really?"

Her smile grew and she sat down next to him on his bed. "Well, it's kind of off the books. Tsunade knew how worried I was about you so she insisted that I check up on you every day until you've been given the all-clear to do missions again."

"I'm sure."

"Plus, you have to do some physical therapy to get some of your strength back," Sakura mentioned, ignoring the way he sighed as she continued, "It's only precautionary. You've been restricted to this room since you got here, so you've lost some strength in those three weeks. It won't be much."

Sasuke felt the corner of his lips perk up. "Well, then wouldn't it be easier if you just stayed with me during that time? It would be a waste of energy and time for you to trek all the way across the village just to tend to me."

Sakura's cheeks turned bright red and her eyes got comically huge. Her stuttering and stammering was ridiculously adorable, considering he just shocked the ever living hell out of her with that off-handed comment.

"I-I-I-I, uh w-well, it m-might n-not-"

"I was kidding, Sakura."

She seemed to relax a little.

"But I wouldn't mind you staying the night once or twice."

Sasuke may have laughed for the first time in a long time when her eyes rolled to the back of her head and blood came spurting out of her nose as she tumbled to the ground.

fin.