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lala-ladybug · 1 year

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Healing Hands: Ch 14

Jasonette Sword Art Online AU

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Chapter 14: Oh Maribug, what are we going to do with you?

Sleeping by Jason’s side was the best sleep Marinette had gotten all game. No nightmares, no waking up scared for herself or her friends. Well, she did wake up a blushing, nervous mess once she realized where she was, that is until Jason rolled over. She’d had to stifle her giggles at his incredibly adorable bedhead so as to not wake him. Then the morning light streaming in through the skylight made her actually feel... relaxed for once. There was something about that little cabin that helped her forget her persistent urge to beat the game. It pushed down the feeling of guilt for taking time for herself. It was hard to leave in the morning, and not just because the cozy pile of blankets appealed to her bug-like sensibilities.

The next week had her lying awake at night in her own bed, missing his warmth and the stories they shared. And the lack of nightmares. Luka had stopped joining her for late-night tea, but her subconscious hadn’t yet moved on. It didn’t take long for her to message Jason about tackling the next level. She’d need to buy some new gear for it though, there was no way she was going to be caught unprepared like last time.

But first she had to navigate the den of wolves that was her friends.

“Where are you going, Marinette,” Kagami asked sharply. The girl in question paused before the door, her hand raised to open it. She reminded herself that they were very caring wolves. But wolves nonetheless.

“They just beat level 67, I need new gear if I’m going to help clear out the next one in a few days,” she spoke without turning to look her friends in the eye.

Chloe and Adrien exchanged a worried glance. “Then give us a few minutes to get our stuff together, we’ll go with you,” Adrien caught Marinette’s arm gently and gave her a pleading look.

She didn’t quite look at his face as she forced a smile and replied, “No, you should all rest. It’s not a big deal, I’ll be back before you know it!”

Luka furrowed his brow and frowned when he heard the discordant notes in her song. It most certainly was a big deal, and Chloe said as much when Marinette went to open the door again.

Marinette sighed and finally turned to face them. “Seriously Chlo, it’s okay. I haven’t actually been getting that much sleep here, so I might as well do something useful if I’m going to be awake anyway.”

They hadn’t known about that, judging by their even more worried expressions at that statement. Good thing she hadn’t divulged the reasons why. They didn’t know about the nightmares that had been plaguing her even since before the beginning of the game. Adrien opened his mouth to protest again before Marinette cut him off.

“Look, I told Jason I’d meet him at the end of 67, so I won’t be going alone. I know you guys don’t like me spending time with him,” she held up her hands to placate their skeptical and outraged faces, “but we can trust him to have my back. I’m sure of it.”

Luka spoke up, “Mari, he’s killed other players. How can you say you trust him after that?”

Marinette fiddled with the straps of her backpack and looked down at her feet. “I told you that was a misunderstanding. Plus I don’t know how to describe it, but we just... get each other, you know?” She stopped fidgeting and squarely stood her ground, looking each member of her order in the eye. “Now I’m going whether you like it or not. I’ll be back tonight to prep and then I’ll head out in a few days.” She added, decisively, “Alone.”

She left and the door closed with a loud click that had a sense of finality to it. The Order stood in stunned and concerned silence until the door opened again, not a minute later. They all assumed defensive stances until they saw Marinette’s signature awkward grin as she poked her head around the door.

“Forgot my arrows,” she said sheepishly, then grabbed the quiver laying on a table and left once more.

Adrien heaved a heavy sigh. “Oh Maribug, what are we going to do with you?”

* * *

Marinette jauntily swung a basket from the crook of her elbow. It didn’t matter that whatever she purchased from the bustling market would automatically go into her inventory, it was the aesthetic that counted. She was currently parsing through different fabrics, having finally picked up the courage to try getting into the clothing design aspect of Mindscape. There was only so much she could do with Alchemy, which relied on objects that already exist. For a while, it was as close to creation as she dared go, but recently she’d been feeling more like herself and was finally ready to dust off her old hobbies.

Especially if they could help her protect the people she cared about.

She was comparing two fabric swatches and could tell the shopkeeper was getting impatient. Deciding to get both of them seemed to placate him, and she backed out of the shop with a smile.

Until she ran into someone, that is.

“Oh my gosh, I am so sorry--”

“Are you alright? I wasn’t paying attention to--”

The two dark-haired girls apologized simultaneously, then paused to giggle.

“I’m fine, thank you,” the taller girl placed her hand gently on Marinette’s shoulder.

“Me too, I’m so sorry, again,” she paused for a moment. “Wait, don’t I know you...?”

The taller girl blinked in surprise, then lit up with recognition. “Of course, you’re Jason’s girlfriend! I don’t know if you remember me, but I’m Zatanna, we met in that cooking class you do every few weeks.”

Now that they were talking, Marinette did remember her but she’d called her Jason’s.... She thought she might explode from being called that of all things. She immediately started flailing her arms and stammering desperately.

“Oh, we’re not like that you see, he doesn’t-- I mean we don’t, well, it’s not!” she hid her fiercely blushing face in her hands and finished lamely, “I think you have the wrong idea....”

Zatanna laughed. “Sorry, sorry. My mistake, I didn’t mean anything by it.”

Marinette risked a glance in between her fingers and decided the apology was genuine.

“So, what’s our local Cooking Mama doing in the clothing boutique district? Cute basket, by the way.”

The reference was lost on her, but Marinette replied, “Thank you! I’m actually going to try my hand at creating armor. Clothing design was something I enjoyed in the real world, but it’s been, ah, difficult to want to get back into it here.” She gave a bashful smile.

“Oh wow, no kidding? That sounds amazing!” Zatanna enthused as they made their way to a nearby bench. “Any special occasion?”

“Just trying to keep everyone safe,” Marinette shrugged nonchalantly as if it wasn’t her whole life’s purpose.

“Hear hear,” she replied emphatically. “I’m so glad those enchanted potions I gave Jason helped you guys out in that last level.”

Marinette paused, surprised. She’d completely forgotten to ask Jason where those water-breathing potions had come from. “Wait, you made those?” she asked.

“None other!” Zatanna gave a mock bow. “I’ve been outfitting our guild with enchanted goodies pretty much since day one,” she laughed a little to herself.

“Now that is an amazing talent! I can’t believe that you can make such cool potions like that,” she grinned.

Zatanna looked around, then leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, “That’s not all I can do.”

Marinette, who had leaned forward as well, arched a playful eyebrow.

“Have you ever wanted to learn how to enchant armor?”

* * *

It was several hours later that Marinette and Zatanna were found laughing away in the latter’s custom forge. Marinette had never been to the Rocky Road guild house before, so Zatanna gave her a tour. It was a sprawling complex with a courtyard and had rooms, areas, and even entire buildings devoted to everything any of their members could possibly need.

She was introduced to a few of the people who were there. Some she recognized from the cooking class-- she found out their names were Wally and Artemis-- but most she didn’t know. While the tour was lovely, especially with her host, she was most intrigued by the two dark-haired boys that Zatanna gave her meaningful looks over.

Jason’s oh-so-despised brothers, it seems.

Tim was in the study, a veritable library with two-story-tall shelves packed to the brim. He was reading voraciously out of several books at a time and scribbling notes in the worst chicken scratch she’d ever seen. He barely reacted to them being there until Marinette introduced herself by name, then he was all ears. And eyes. Man, that guy had an intense stare. She could practically hear him analyzing her in his head, though she had no idea what conclusion he’d reached until Zatanna led them out into the courtyard and said he’d liked her.

There they met Jason’s older brother Dick, training with a hulk of a boy named Connor and a lean girl named Cassie. They were all really nice, and Marinette felt an instant connection. She even thought she might remember Connor from her cooking classes.

Dick was immensely pleased to know Jason had actually referred to himself and Tim as his brothers. She actually thought he was on the verge of tears, that is until Cassie tried to sneak in an attack on him with a kick to the legs and he had to flip to avoid it.

Marinette’s eyebrows rose to her hairline watching them spar. Dick almost seemed to float through the air, spinning and jumping around his opponent. He was clearly very practiced, and she was impressed.

Zatanna didn’t let her watch for long before steering them to the forge where she finally began teaching Marinette all she knew about enchanting. While it was possible to enchant pre-made armor, she said, it was much easier and more potent to imbue the metal while it was still molten.

With surprising strength, Zatanna showed her how to hammer and shape the pieces. It was much more difficult than she was expecting even with the abbreviated actions common to the game, but her new friend insisted she was a natural.

They were soon joined by a red-haired boy with a seemingly permanent scowl. Zatanna introduced him as Roy, which he acknowledged with a grunt. He was working on a warhammer, melting new steel into the cracks it had sustained from use. He came over to watch once Marinette returned from changing into a sleeveless shirt to hammer away at her own metal.

Zatanna guided Marinette through creating a set of armor entirely from scratch. They’d used some existing molds from a set she’d made before, one for Zatanna’s friend Jaime that they thought might fit Adrien. Roy gave tips here and there on the metalworking side of things, and Zatanna provided her expertise with the enchantments.

Several sweaty hours later, they were proudly brandishing a brand new set of full armor. It had several defensive enchantments detectable only in a faint, pulsating glow emanating from within the inlays of the armor’s decorative designs.

“I wonder if the same technique could be used on fabric while I sew....” Marinette wondered aloud.

“Oh we’re going to be best friends,” Zatanna grinned at her ingenuity.

They were still laughing and chatting later when Jason finally made it back from level grinding. Apparently he stopped by nearly every day before leaving again “once he got sick of them.” Marinette had stopped her work to take a dinner break at some point, having missed lunch while out shopping. And so Jason found the two girls, Dick, and Roy sitting at the breakfast bar without a care in the world, chatting over several plates of Marinette’s home-baked salmon.

“Oh hey Jaybird, you’ve got to try this! Mari’s an amazing cook,” Dick reached over to ruffle her hair, much to her annoyance.

“I know,” Jason grumbled in response, grabbing a plate and dishing himself a portion. “I was hoping to keep her away from you vultures.”

“Aw, is somebody jealous?” Roy pouted teasingly at him.

Jason stood over where Marinette was perched on a stool and placed his plate next to hers, proceeding to eat over her head. “I’ve never been jealous a day in my life.”

Dick snorted at that. “Tell that to Timmy,” he scoffed.

“‘B, he took my spot, make him stop!’” Roy mocked in falsetto, “‘That replacement could never be me.’”

Marinette peered up at her friend, catching him wince slightly at the dig.

“Whatever, we’re past that.”

Noticing Jason’s reaction, Dick shot Roy a sharp look and agreed in a low voice, “Leave it.”

“So what are you doing here Pixie?” Jason asked before helping himself to another forkful over her head. As fond as she was of their closeness, she really hoped he wouldn’t spill any of the dill sauce on her hair.

“Zatanna showed me how to enchant stuff! I made a set of armor for Adrien, but I’m really excited to try working it into clothing too.” She felt herself start to bounce in her seat but couldn’t bring herself to care. “She even said I’m welcome to come over and work in the forge any time I want!”

Jason groaned and she whipped around to glare at him. “And who let you be friends?” He asked.

“Technically, you did,” Zatanna mused. “You are the one who convinced her to set up those cooking classes, right?”

“My own worst enemy yet again,” he muttered in response.

Marinette giggled. The poor baby.

She stayed and chatted for a while longer, but as the sky began to darken, she excused herself to go back to her own guild so her friends wouldn’t send out search parties en masse.

Jason waved goodbye to her as she used the teleport crystal, and she held in a laugh at the playful punch and thumbs up he got from Roy as she returned the gesture.

When she returned to her own guild house, she was met with her Order standing watch. She gifted Adrien his new armor, which seemed to pacify him momentarily as he animatedly admired it, but she knew she wasn’t out of the woods with the rest of them.

“Will you please talk to us?” Chloe asked earnestly. Marinette winced at that. If Chloe was the one using the magic word, she had to be seriously worrying her friends. Maybe it was finally time to do this. Gods know they wouldn’t leave her alone until they talked. Plus the whole “doing everything on her own” thing wasn’t exactly sustainable. The first time she’d met Jason, when he rescued her in the snow, proved that.

“Okay,” she acquiesced reluctantly. “Can we sit?”

Luka nodded and they all gathered on the couches by the fireplace.

Marinette sighed. This talk was a long time coming, but she wasn’t ready for things to change. She knew it was stupid to just do it all herself, but.... She wasn’t ready to watch her friends get hurt all over again. She kept her gaze stubbornly on a very interesting spot on the floor.

“Look, I can’t shake my instincts from home,” she began, knowing they’d catch her meaning. “I need to get everyone out as fast as possible so things can go back to normal.”

“Marinette,” Kagami began in a tone that indicated she wouldn’t like whatever came next. “We all feel the same way. But the rest of us are not blowing each other off and running headlong into danger.”

“With a stranger, no less,” Luka added.

Adrien chimed in, “You need us as much as we need you. What happened to working together? The Order you made?”

“Okay! I get it,” Marinette raised her hands in surrender. “This doesn’t need to be an intervention. Can we please just have a conversation?”

“Fine. Why haven’t we seen you since level thirteen?” Adrien crossed her arms.

“You see me every day,” Marinette rolled her eyes.

“At breakfast and dinner, if that,” Luka said evenly.

“I’m busy helping at the front lines!”

“With Jason, but not us?” Kagami asked.

“He’s been... he’s different.”

Chloe, who had been quiet for some time, burst out tearfully, “Why can’t you look at me?”

Marinette bit her lip. “I... I can’t see you get hurt like that again.” Her voice cracked. She thought her heart might join it.

Chloe reached for her hands and Marinette tried to control the shaking.

“Dupain-Cheng, do you think you’re the only one who cares? The only one here who wants to save everyone and go home?”

Marinette finally raised her eyes to meet her friend’s and felt her heart clench at the tears he saw in them. “Of course not,” she whispered, not trusting her voice to be any louder than that.

Adrien knelt on the floor in front of her and placed his hands over theirs. “Then let us help you. Please.”

That was all it took for her to break.

She told them of her nightmares and fears. How she had started adventuring with Jason because she didn’t know him and she’d convinced herself that it would make it easier to handle if he got hurt. How she’d realized too late that she’d grown to care for him, but he insisted he was going to keep fighting at the front lines anyway, so she had to stick with him. That earned a facepalm from Adrien, who grumbled that they should have done the same.

Marinette gave a watery chuckle. She really was being silly, wasn’t she? Strength in numbers was everything back in Paris, why wouldn’t it be the same here? Half of the wonderful people surrounding her joined the Order because she couldn’t do it alone. And she’d never been alone, she’d always had Adrien by her side. She squeezed his hand with a small, grateful smile.

She wiped at her damp eyes. “Oh, there was something... else I almost forgot,” she began nervously. Her friends nodded and gestured for her to go on.

“There was one time where Jason almost died. I mean, he had one HP left. I was so terrified I dropped all the healing potions and they broke. But then I reached out my hands and... I accidentally might have healed him?” She finished nervously.

“With Alchemy?” Adrien prompted.

“No,” Marinette bit her lip. “It was more like... like creation magic.”

Her friends stared at her, quiet in thought.

“...Have any of you had that?” she asked them, but she knew the answer from the bemused look in their eyes.

“I looked into in-game healing mechanics, but I couldn’t find anything even close to what happened. What I did,” she heaved a sigh.

“Hey, whatever it was, we’ll figure it out together,” Adrien squeezed her hand back.

Luka tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Maybe it was out of desperation at the situation,” he mused, “like those rare circumstances where mothers get an adrenaline rush and can lift a car to save their child.”

“You do seem to care an awful lot about Jason,” Chloe smirked playfully. Marinette blushed profusely, too tired to deny anything by this point.

“We can set out researching it in the morning,” Kagami reasoned, carefully layering blankets over the others on the couch. “It’s late and we need our rest.”

Marinette was indeed yawning. It would be difficult to swallow back her reservations in the morning, but for now, it was enough to be surrounded by people who loved her. And surround her they did, in a tangle of limbs and floppy hair buried beneath a mound of pillows and blankets on the couches of their living room.

Her eyelids were heavy from crying. She barely stayed conscious enough to lift her head for Luka to place a pillow beneath it. Her friends-- her court, her Order-- only let her drift off into sleep with the assurance that this conversation was not over until they had fixed things for the future.

She supposed she had bigger problems than her friends caring about her.

* * *

A few days after Marinette visited his guild, Jason was surprised to find a package delivered to the doorstep of his cottage. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, knowing that nobody knew where he lived--

Well, almost nobody.

He gingerly unfolded the card tucked into the top of the wrapping to reveal a flowing script that read, Something to keep you safe. -M. The back stated, P.S. It’s time for you to meet my friends. They insist.

He smiled as he opened the rest of the package, no longer apprehensive but instead excited, and found a striking set of armor with neatly folded clothes to wear underneath it. The armor was a deep maroon with black accents that seemed to pulse with life. The sturdy black undershirt and pants were light and breathable but thick, with shimmering gold detailing the seams and delicate runes stitched into the fabric.

In other words, it was fucking sick.

And he knew exactly who he had to thank for it.

#healing hands #jasonette #sword art online au #virtual reality #maribat #maribat fics #batfam #batfam fics #jasonette fics

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picascribit · 1 year

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Word Count: 3953 Podfic Length: 34 minutes Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Poppy Pomfrey/Pomona Sprout Characters: Pomona Sprout, Poppy Pomfrey, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black Additional Tags: Smut, Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Rare Pairings, Established Relationship, Menstruation, Menstrual Sex, Healing Sex, Sex Toys, Oral Sex, Cunnilingus, Tribadism, happy fat lesbians in love having great sex together, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), lil bit of wolfstar if you squint, lots of plant-based metaphors and imagery, Canon Compliant, Vaginal Fisting, Podfic, Podfic Length: 30-45 Minutes Summary: Poppy Pomfrey knows just what to do for cramps. Pomona Sprout is grateful.

Excerpt:

Poppy held out a hand, and Pomona came to her.

"What seems to be the trouble, Professor?" she asked in a low, teasing tone.

"I ache for the healing touch of my Matron," replied Pomona, kneeling on the bed and leaning close to kiss her lover's smiling lips. "Without it, I fear I shall wither and die."

"Mm, well we can't have that. Lie back, and show me where it hurts."

Pomona reclined against the pillows. Without any sense of shyness, she tucked her shift up around her waist to expose her thick, soft thighs and belly, drawing her knees up and apart. Here, in Poppy's bed, was peace and safety. Here, they could shut out the rest of the world with all its judgements and uncertainties, and simply be, secure in their love for one another.

#poppy pomfrey #pomona sprout #hp femslash #hp podfic #pica's podfic #healing hands

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dessertbird · 1 year

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Daily Destiel 💙💚

Healing hands. 😇😍❤️

#Destiel #deancas #destiel is canon #their love is real #healing hands

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dimigexwrites · 2 years

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New Normal (Healing Hands, Chapter 15)

A03, FF, Ko-fi

New chapter is up! This one is a bit fluffier than the some of the others. Tenzo is adorable and he owns my whole hear. Full story available at the above links, as well as ways to support me if you're interested! Chapter is also below the cut

After completing Ino's evaluation, Tenzo stumbled into blinding sunlight and gulped down a lungful of air. Despite the reassuring warmth of the woman's office, a chill permeated his body, like ice had replaced the blood in his veins. Tenzo's hands shook despite every effort to still them, and his chest felt uncomfortably tight. Sliding his tongue over too dry lips, Tenzo counted to ten, breathing in and out with each number. He squashed the idea that a drink of whiskey would halt the bile rising in his stomach.

"Are you okay?" Tenzo startled and spun on the balls of his feet, reaching for the weapons pouch that he wasn't wearing. Sakura danced backward two steps, out of striking range in case he resorted to hand to hand. "Sorry, I shouldn't have snuck up on you like that. I just thought you might need a friendly face after that. Want to get lunch?"

Raking his fingers through his hair, Tenzo forced a smile that he didn't feel and nodded. The memory of needing a drink sat heavy on his tongue, but the distraction of food might ease the longing. Sakura prattled off questions and observations, which Tenzo mostly ignored, as they walked. He shrugged when she asked what he wanted to eat, and left the decision up to her. His mind felt like it had been rung out by too many questions.

Sakura and Tenzo ended up at Ichiraku, which had grown larger than the single ramen counter of old. The restaurant sported more than a dozen tables now, tucked away from the street's view on the side of the building. They selected a table in the corner even though only one other booth was occupied. Tenzo tried to dispel the nervousness boiling inside of him with a slow exhale. "This isn't the place I imagined you'd pick," he ventured.

Tucking a strand of hair behind one ear, Sakura shrugged. "I wasn't sure if you wanted to be seen in public, and it's pretty quiet in here between the lunch and dinner rush."

Taking a drink of water, Tenzo considered Sakura's implication. He had eaten dinner with her, Naruto, Kakashi, and Sai on numerous occasions over the years. There had been plenty of meals with just Kakashi or Naruto, but never Sakura. Tenzo wondered if anyone would think there was something strange about the pair of them being alone together. He shook his head to clear away that foolishness. They were former teammates after all. "It's fine, good even."

Tenzo stared around the once familiar room, enjoying the quiet atmosphere while his thoughts drifted. He felt exhausted and spent, but also relieved that the first step to getting reinstated was complete. Hope stirred in his chest, suggesting that there might be an end to all this posturing and talking. Eventually, he would get back to taking missions and leading Anbu. Eventually, this would end.

Before long, two steaming bowls of ramen appeared on the table. Sakura broke her chopsticks open with a quick prayer of thanks, then leveled Tenzo with a cool, green stare. "So, how did it go?"

Separating his chopsticks with exaggerated slowness, Tenzo prodded at the noodles until they raised a fragrant cloud of steam between them. Sakura didn't press, but he knew that she was waiting for an answer. Tenzo raised his shoulders in a shrug. "It went fine."

"Fine," Sakura repeated, eyes narrowing as she sipped broth from her ceramic spoon. "What does fine mean?"

"It means she didn't put me in solitary confinement under a doctor's care," Tenzo groused, wondering if that had been a possibility. He reached for his glass and took another long drink. The liquid left him missing the sharp burn of alcohol on his tongue. Tenzo shrugged a second time. "I don't know how these things are supposed to go. I never had to do one until now."

Sakura winced at the words. "What did she ask you about? What did you say? What was her recommendation?"

"She asked me the same questions that you did: am I sleeping enough, do I have nightmares, am I having trouble with my memory, the usual stuff." Tenzo left out the fact that he hadn't been truthful with his answers. What Sakura didn't know couldn't hurt him.

Sakura waited for Tenzo to continue, but he bought himself a moment to think by taking a bite of his food. Ino hadn't asked about the pinkette's presence until the end of the meeting, and then she'd only asked whether or not the results could be shared with Sakura. It seemed innocuous, a pointless question considering Sakura had referred him to Ino in the first place, so he'd agreed.

Despite wanting help, Tenzo held back as much as he dared with his answers during the session with Ino. He suggested that he slept well enough, but left out that it was only because of Sakura's presence the past few days. No, Tenzo hadn't had a nightmare in a while, at least not one that he remembered. He'd faked his way through the questions about substance use by admitting to having a drink sometimes. Honestly, he'd been more open with Ino than he had with Sakura at the first exam; that had to count for something.

"Ino said she'd get the final recommendation to you by tomorrow afternoon." Tenzo took another bite of ramen, letting the warm flavors ease the nausea in the pit of his stomach. His hands weren't shaking as badly as they had been, and the beginnings of relief wrapped around him like a blanket.

For a minute, Sakura didn't speak as she swirled the noodles in her bowl. Tenzo watched her, wondering what she was thinking. After a couple of seconds, she nodded. "Well, that's good. Maybe you'll start feeling better soon."

Tenzo chuckled in the back of his throat, not pointing out that he'd never felt normal in his life. His background wasn't something that he wanted to discuss, now or ever. Changing the subject, Tenzo dipped his head. "Speaking of normal, when do you plan to go back to work? You can't babysit me forever."

Sakura chewed her lower lip before answering, sending a spike of fear through Tenzo. "I was thinking I'd go back tomorrow morning."

Relief and worry washed through Tenzo in equal measure. With Sakura at work, he wouldn't have to worry about what she might see. She wouldn't be there to stop him from doing whatever he wanted. But, he'd be alone again, truly alone for the first time in weeks. He hadn't done well by himself the previous night. How much more difficult would an entire day be? Tenzo thought about his desire to have a drink after leaving T&I. He wondered what he might have done if Sakura hadn't been waiting on him; he didn't like the answer.

Tenzo pushed the thoughts away. He needed to learn how to be responsible for himself again. "That sounds good. I'm sure they've missed your help."

"Yeah, it'll probably be a mess when I get back." Sakura took a final bite of her food, emptying the bowl. Tenzo's remained mostly untouched, but she didn't comment on it. "I need to do a few things this afternoon, but I can stop by later and see how you're doing?"

The question left Tenzo off balance, but a wave of gratitude flooded through him. He had expected Sakura to go back to her life without a second glance. The idea that she would continue to support him after he started talking to Ino surprised him; it shouldn't have. Tenzo nodded. "If you want to."

"I do," Sakura offered with a grin, pushing her bowl away. "Do you think you'll be okay until then?"

Tenzo nodded, wondering if Sakura felt as unsteadied by the day's events as he did. Somehow, he doubted it.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

After leaving Tenzo, Sakura spent the next couple of hours running errands and catching up on tasks that needed her attention. As much as she wanted to go to the hospital and start organizing the chaos there, she decided to leave it off until the following day. She hadn't figured out what, if anything, she was going to tell Kazuko about her absence. The man didn't need to know about Tenzo's detox, and he already knew that it was tied up in her duty as shinobi medic, that should be enough for him.

The most important thing that Sakura wanted to accomplish during her free time was to organize her notes on Tenzo's detox. She'd written tons of details over the past couple of weeks, most of them in a battered notebook that she carried in her bag. She spent hours transferring and simplifying her observations, as well as drawing conclusions about them. Eventually, Sakura would need to move everything to Tenzo's medical file, but she wanted to wait until she knew what to record.

After that, Sakura would need to talk to Kakashi about Tenzo's suitability for Anbu. She wanted to let the man detox and get help through T&I first. It took all of Sakura's self control to leave the remainder of Tenzo's recovery in someone else's hands, but she recognized the need to do so. Ino could help in ways that Sakura couldn't. Despite that, she planned to check on the man over the next few days to make sure that he was adjusting to the changes.

Content that she'd recorded everything that she needed to, Sakura made a quick dinner and washed up. Then, she looked around the apartment. After a quick tidy up, she grabbed her jacket and went to check on Tenzo. He'd been alone for several hours, plenty of time to mess up for a second time if he was going to. The idea made Sakura anxious, but she pushed it away. Tenzo would make a good decision, she had to believe that. If he didn't, they'd start over, again.

The chill in the air had grown more pronounced as winter drew closer. Sakura zipped her jacket against the cold and jogged toward Tenzo's apartment. When he didn't answer the first knock, her stomach plummeted to her feet. Had he already thrown everything away?

Just as Sakura was considering whether or not to pick the lock, the door cracked open. Tenzo's dark eyes were shadowed and his face was drawn, but he dipped his chin in greeting. "Sakura."

"Hey," Sakura began, moving into the apartment when Tenzo pushed the door wider. "How are you feeling?"

"Fantastic," Tenzo answered, running a hand through his hair. Sakura had grown used to the way it stuck up in all directions without the head protector to hold it back.

Sakura was surprised to see that Tenzo had changed from jeans to sweatpants after his appointment. Even more surprising was how familiar the comfortable look had become after their time together. Whenever Sakura thought about Tenzo, she pictured him in sweats instead of his uniform. Sakura shook her head to clear away the thoughts and asked, "have you eaten anything?"

"I had a protein bar, does that count?" Tenzo walked over to the couch and threw himself onto it. "I wasn't hungry enough to eat a big meal, and I didn't feel like cooking."

Nodding, Sakura took a seat beside Tenzo. He didn't meet her eyes, tugging at the string of his hoodie and readjusting the way it fit his chest. "It counts," she agreed. "Have you had anything else?"

"If you mean did I go on a bender in the past four hours, then no." Huffing out a breath, Tenzo pushed to his feet. He paced a few steps toward the wall, then turned and walked back.

Sakura chewed her lip as she watched him. "You're on edge, though. Did you take something?"

"Like one of the soldier pills you confiscated?" Tenzo's lips pulled into an aborted snarl as he sighed. "No, I haven't had anything. Just the protein bar."

"Harder than you thought it would be?" Sakura asked, keeping her voice gentle. "I looked into managing the symptoms after medication. The article suggested that patients try meditation, exercise, or finding a new hobby to focus on. You need a good habit to replace the bad."

Tenzo scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Respectfully, that sounds like a load of bullshit."

Exhaling, Sakura counted to ten under her breath. "Probably, but why don't we go for a walk to see if it helps?"

The incredulous look that Tenzo flashed Sakura made her laugh. He scoffed. "Is that supposed to count as exercise, for an Anbu?"

"It's supposed to count for getting some fresh air." Sakura ran her fingers through her hair and pulled it into a ponytail. "Which is good for everything. Now, come on."

After a bit of grumbling and complaining, Sakura got Tenzo out the door. Darkness hadn't fallen yet, but it was already chillier than when she'd arrived. Shivering, Sakura turned to the right and set off at a quick clip. Tenzo followed her after a moment of indecision, catching up with his longer strides. The pair walked in silence, leaving the main village behind while moving toward the training fields.

After Sakura and Tenzo passed the first three training grounds, he huffed out a breath. "Are we going to walk all night?"

Sakura sighed at the man's testiness. She'd been ignoring it all evening, but there was only so much that she could stand. "Only until you stop being grouchy," she shot back, glaring. Swiveling with annoyance, Sakura threw a half hearted punch at Tenzo's shoulder.

The man danced backward, eyes widening in surprise. She swung again, and he sidestepped to the right, brow furrowing. "So what? You're going to beat it out of me now?"

Sakura dipped her head and slid into a fighting stance. "If that's what it takes."

Tenzo snorted and shook his head as he ducked beneath another strike. Sakura attempted to sweep his feet out from under him. Tenzo laughed and brought his hands up. "Fine, but don't blame me when you're too sore to move tomorrow."

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By the time Tenzo and Sakura finished sparring, his breath came in urgent gasps that left him dizzy. The bruise purple sky had grown black with only the moon and stars to provide a scatter of light when the clouds didn't block it out. Sakura looked as exhausted as Tenzo felt with sweat that ran down her cheeks and clung to her hair. The woman had improved over the past couple of years, but she didn't have the honed skills of an Anbu operative. Even so, she'd pushed herself hard.

The streets were deserted as they walked, and Tenzo found his gaze drawn back to Sakura. Her sweatshirt jacket was zipped tight against the wind, and she'd shoved her hands into her pockets. Warmth shuddered through Tenzo's body from the fight. The adrenaline of combat was a poor substitute for soldier pills, but it was better than sitting at home and staring at the wall.

After leaving Ichiraku, Tenzo had gone back to his apartment and paced through the rooms. He tried cleaning, reading, and napping, but nothing helped. As dinner time came and went, Tenzo had been annoyed that Sakura hadn't come to check on him. Except, she did; it was just later than Tenzo expected. Which led to them walking home together in near silence.

Tenzo cut his eyes toward Sakura, wondering what she was thinking. The exercise left him more relaxed than he'd felt all day, which was nice, but anxiety crept up the back of his neck. He worried what would happen when he got home, when he spent the long hours of night staring at the ceiling and attempting to fall asleep. He exhaled and pushed those doubts away, bumping Sakura's shoulder with his. "Are you walking me home because you're scared I'll get kidnapped?"

The pinkette turned, looking up at Tenzo in confusion. Then, she laughed. "I don't know if you're pretty enough to be a damsel in distress. They'd probably leave you alone."

Chuckling, Tenzo inclined his head. "Maybe I should walk you home instead, then?"

A flush of pink colored Sakura's cheeks as they entered a more lit area of Konoha, but she shook her head. "I'd beat 'em up if they tried anything."

"Of course you would." Tenzo buried his hands in his pockets, looking down at his shoes. Sakura didn't answer, but pulled her shoulders up toward her ears in a shrug.

A breeze whipped through the street, scattering leaves across the path. Tenzo's apartment loomed ahead, several streets away from Sakura's. They would need to go their separate ways soon, him to the left, and her to the right. Tenzo's feet slowed with reluctance, and Sakura adjusted her pace. "So," he started, pulling a hand out of his pocket to tug at the hem of his sweatshirt. "I, uh, guess it's time to say goodnight."

A small smile darted across Sakura's lips as she paused in the street. "I guess so," she responded, glancing up at Tenzo without moving away. "Goodnight, then?"

Tenzo's heart tightened at the thought of going back to his empty apartment. He frowned, wondering how needy it would sound if he asked Sakura to come home with him, not to mention how improper it was. He didn't care. "Um, I was uh," Tenzo trailed off, aware of the uncomfortable warmth in his cheeks. He shook his head. "Nevermind."

For a minute, the thunder of blood in Tenzo's ears was the only thing he heard. Sakura studied him, then smiled. "Do you want me to walk you back?" The heat in Tenzo's cheeks increased for some reason, but he couldn't answer. "You know, I'd actually feel better if I gave your vitals a once over after that exercise. It's been a while since you pushed yourself that hard. "

Tenzo started to point out that he wasn't the one soaked in sweat after their spar, but the careful phrasing of Sakura's words stopped him. "I'm sure they're fine, and I don't want to inconvenience you."

"You aren't an inconvenience." Sakura hooked her arm through Tenzo's and pulled him forward a couple of steps. "You're still my patient after all."

Lips twitching toward a smile, Tenzo chuckled. "Somehow, I don't find that as reassuring as I used to."

Sakura grinned over her shoulder. "Only if you don't behave."

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Safely ensconced in Tenzo's apartment, Sakura shed her jacket and shoes, breathing a sigh of relief. The wind brought out a rosy color to Tenzo's cheeks, so she could only imagine how red hers were. The evening had been colder than she'd expected when she suggested a walk, but she wasn't bothered by that. Tenzo's shoulders weren't quite as tense as they had been, and he no longer looked ready to pace a hole in the floor of his apartment. The exercise had worked, even if he wouldn't admit it.

Sakura hadn't anticipated the man's nervous stammer when it came time to part ways, however. At first, she didn't understand. Tenzo hadn't been afraid of asking for what he needed over the course of his detox, and they'd grown closer for it. But, he'd blushed and stumbled over his words like a school boy. It took her a moment to realize that he didn't want her to leave. He hadn't managed a full night on his own yet, and the idea of trying again must have been terrifying. Though, Sakura struggled to reconcile the idea of an Anbu agent being afraid of anything.

Unaware of Sakura's thoughts, Tenzo walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge. After a couple of minutes, he returned and offered her some water. "Here. You should rehydrate."

"Thanks." Sakura spun the cap off of the bottle and took a long pull, thankful to erase the itchiness in her throat from the cold. Recapping it, she nodded toward the table. "Let me get a look at your vitals to see where we are."

Sakura didn't expect to find anything unusual in Tenzo's pulse when she grabbed ahold of his wrist. The slight elevation of the man's heart rate was likely due to the walk, but it was still lower than most of the patients that Sakura saw. Peak physical conditioning did that, even though Tenzo had missed a couple of weeks. She nodded to herself. "Everything looks good, just as I expected."

Tenzo hummed in agreement, but he didn't speak. When the man glanced away, some of the tension erased by the exercise bled back into his posture. Sakura watched Tenzo for a moment, studying the familiar features of his face, then she reached across the table and patted his knee. "Do you want me to stay the night?" Tenzo's ears flamed crimson, pulling a laugh from Sakura's lips. "As a friend, obviously."

"Obviously," Tenzo echoed, pushing to his feet. He walked back to the kitchen and filled a glass of water for himself. "I'm sure I'll be fine, and I don't want to bother you."

Sakura followed, resting her hand on Tenzo's back as he stood beside the sink. "We've already talked about this; you aren't a bother."

"I feel bad about keeping you out late when you're planning to go back to work tomorrow." Tenzo drained the glass, then turned it upside down in the sink. "What if you stayed for a little while, and I'll see if I can get to sleep early?"

A smile tugged at Sakura's cheeks. "I think that could work."

While Tenzo went to take a quick shower before bed, Sakura finished her water and stole a protein bar from one of the cabinets. The man's apartment had begun to feel more like home than hers, though Sakura knew that would change with time. She'd spent weeks here, watching Tenzo fall apart, then build himself back up. Sakura couldn't help but wonder if they would experience another relapse. Tenzo's recovery would have ups and downs, she knew that, and she wanted to be ready for anything.

After about fifteen minutes, the bedroom door swung open with a soft sigh. Tenzo stepped out, face flushed from the warmth of his shower. Grey sweatpants hugged the man's hips, and a white t-shirt clung to his still damp skin. When he lifted an arm to ruffle through his freshly washed hair, and the bunching of his sleeve over his bicep distracted Sakura from the fact that Tenzo had spoken. Giving her head a small shake, she forced herself to focus. "What did you say?"

"Just that I think I'm going to turn in now." Tenzo walked across the room to turn off the kitchen light. He paused beside Sakura, glancing between her and the bedroom while looking sheepish and uncertain at the same time. "It's been a long day."

Nodding, Sakura crossed over to check that the front door was locked and turned off the light. Tenzo's apartment was familiar enough for her to walk through in complete darkness, at least the main living areas. She hesitated only briefly before opening the bedroom. A soft pool of golden light drove back the shadows beside the bed when Sakura stepped inside. Tenzo had crawled beneath blankets, resting on his right hip and shoulder. She sat down on the opposite side of the bed.

Silence reigned for several seconds, then Tenzo managed a laugh. "This is really awkward."

"It's fine," Sakura returned, stretching her legs in front of her. They were sore from the spar, but no more so than after a normal session. "We've been through a lot of awkward things lately."

Tenzo exhaled and nodded, nestling deeper into the blankets. "I know, but this is—"

"No more awkward than anything else." Sakura adjusted her shoulders against the headboard to get more comfortable. "Now, are you going to turn the light off? You can't sleep with it on."

A huff of breath accompanied the question, then darkness swallowed the room. Sakura stilled, listening to the sound of Tenzo's breathing for several seconds before closing her eyes. The warmth of his bed felt comfortable, and the darkness erased the imagined borders between them. "I know that today was hard," Sakura whispered, letting her body sink deeper into the pillow. "I'm proud of you for sticking with it."

Tenzo hummed in agreement, but he didn't answer. The silence didn't bother Sakura; she let her mind drift as the words tumbled out. "It's going to be difficult, but you can do this. Ino has some great ideas for helping with post traumatic stress and addiction. We've already talked about exercise. It should be easy enough to throw yourself into that as an Anbu. Running, yoga, mountain climbing, sparring, kenjutsu, there's a million options."

"Combine that with counseling and medical support, and you'll be feeling better in no time." Sakura fought down a yawn and opened her eyes, staring at the soft moonlight coming through the window. "We're going to get through this," she murmured.

Tenzo's breath grew deeper as he fell toward sleep. Sakura matched the sound, deciding to give him ten minutes to make certain he was well and truly out before leaving. Smiling to herself, she folded her arms over her stomach and let her eyelids flutter shut. Just ten more minutes.

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The next morning, Sakura woke in the quiet calm of Tenzo's apartment with a stiff neck and the horrifying realization that she'd overslept. Tenzo laid on his stomach beside her, one arm pillowed under his head as he faced the wall. Cursing under her breath, Sakura slid off the bed and tiptoed across the room. After easing the door shut behind her, she grabbed the notebook from her bag. Sakura scrawled a quick note and tucked it beneath a bowl of fruit on the kitchen table. Running late for work. I'll stop by later!

Content that Tenzo wouldn't worry about her, Sakura darted out the door. She received several curious stares while sprinting back to her apartment, but she ignored them. There were more important things to worry about, like how she was going to explain being late. Even though she was already an hour behind schedule, Sakura needed to shower after the previous night's sparring session. Throwing her bag onto the bed, she jumped into the spray before it had time to heat, then scrubbed her body and hair in record time.

As Sakura stepped onto the bath mat, she studied her face in the mirror. Smudges darkened the skin beneath her eyes from the irregular schedule of the past couple of weeks. She had planned to put on makeup and style her hair before going into work, but Sakura was too late to bother with that. Swiping through her hair with the towel and brushing the strands flat would have to be enough. Sakura dried off, threw on a pair of scrubs, checked that her bag had everything that she needed, then hurried from the apartment.

Despite planning to reach the hospital early enough to clean up the mess from her absence, Sakura walked through the doors an hour and a half after the start of her shift. People crowded the waiting room, at least half of the chairs taken up by patients of all ages. Employees bustled around the space with smooth efficiency. As Sakura approached the nurse's station, she noticed a familiar form leaning on the counter. The easy conversation died as Kazuko turned. His eyes widened at the sight of the disheveled medic behind him. After a moment, he offered a delayed smile. "Welcome back, Haruno-sensei."

"Thanks," Sakura murmured, feeling a flush of embarrassment rise on her cheeks. She hated looking unprofessional, especially in front of Kazuko. "Give me some time to get settled, and I'll be ready to work."

Turning to the receptionist behind the counter, Kazuko rapped his knuckles twice. "I'll be back in a few minutes to help you get that organized." At the woman's nod, he motioned down the hallway toward the offices, then started in that direction. Sakura had no choice but to follow, as much as it rankled.

Once they were several strides away from everyone, Kazuko glanced over. "Why don't you take the morning to get caught up on paperwork? I can manage the patients for another couple of days."

As much as Sakura wanted to argue, she saw the sense in Kazuko's suggestion. Though the man was too kind to say it, she heard the dig as well. He'd managed the load by himself for weeks; one more day would make no difference. Sakura sighed. She'd held the position of head medic for less than three months, and she was already screwing it up. It wasn't just the struggle of being the Anbu medic, but also balancing the civilian side with Kazuko. Why hadn't Tsunade and Shizune warned her about him?

"I'm sorry," Sakura began, brushing through her hair with one hand. "The past couple of weeks have been hectic."

Kazuko stopped outside of Sakura's office. "It's not a big deal. Tsunade-sama was rarely in the hospital, and there were times that Shizune-sensei left as well. I've had a lot of practice running things."

The words left a sour feeling in the pit of Sakura's stomach. Kazuko was better suited for the job than she was, and he always had been. He pushed his lab coat back and slid his hands into his pockets. A wistful expression crossed the man's face before he continued. "I know I don't have clearance for whatever you've been working on, but if there's anything I can do to help, let me know."

Sakura frowned at the unexpected offer. Could Kazuko have ulterior motives for appearing helpful, or was he just thankful to have her back? She leaned toward the latter. After their jaunt at the bar and his apartment, Sakura suspected that Kazuko might be one of the genuinely good guys left in the world. But, that didn't erase his disappointment in being overlooked for a promotion. Figuring him out was too difficult, at least for the moment. "Thanks," she responded, deciding to leave well enough alone.

If it had been anyone else, Sakura would have taken them out for drinks as a thank you for their hard work. But, after the fiasco with Kazuko a few weeks ago, Sakura didn't think that reintroducing alcohol to their relationship was the best idea. They'd almost gotten back to a semi-normal relationship, and she didn't want to ruin that. Lunch was another option, but Sakura had promised to stop by Tenzo's on her break. Kazuko would have to wait for another day.

Despite Kazuko's efforts at running the hospital, administrative paperwork had piled up on Sakura's desk. Towers of files and reports teetered across the surface, several bearing Kazuko's post-it notes and suggestions. Sighing, Sakura placed her bag on the floor beside her chair and eyed the amount of work waiting on her. It was going to take hours to make a dent in her neglected responsibilities.

Forcing herself to take a breath, Sakura turned her attention back to what needed to be done. It was impossible to complete everything at once, but she could finish one thing, and then another. After a couple hours of using that technique, Sakura's pile grew less in danger of starting an avalanche. She was halfway through a report on a civilian death that needed her signature when someone knocked on the office door. Sakura ran a hand through her hair to smooth the wavy tresses and straightened her shirt before calling out. "Come in."

The door swung inward to reveal Ino, dressed in the crisp grey of Torture and Investigation. The woman tapped a pale folder on the heel of one hand as she swept into the office. Sakura found it ironic that she and Ino had been thrust into roles of leadership within Konoha, whether or not they were ready. She supposed that was a part of growing up, or growing up as a shinobi, at least.

Indicating the chair on the opposite side of the desk, Sakura leaned back and crossed her legs at the knee. The movement released some of the tension that had built in her lower back from sitting at the desk too long. "Hey Ino, what can I do for you?"

The blond closed the door behind her and took a seat across from Sakura. After laying the file on the edge of Sakura's desk, Ino leveled her best friend with a teasing grin. "Before we get down to business, spill it. Have you made any progress with Hot Doctor?"

Hot Doctor? It took Sakura several seconds to realize that Ino meant Kazuko. Unbidden, a touch of warmth rose in Sakua's cheeks. She hadn't told Ino about that night at the bar, though she had no reason to hide it. After everything that happened with Tenzo, the indiscretion with Kazuko seemed a lifetime ago.

Pushing the thoughts away, Sakura rolled her eyes. "He has a name, you know."

"Oh, I know," Ino purred, dragging out the words with suggestive flair. "A name, and the most beautiful blue eyes I've ever seen. Barring mine, of course."

Laughing, Sakura shook her head at the other woman. "Of course."

"Hot Doctor told me where to find you." Ino smiled again, but there was a dangerous, predatory undertone to the expression. "Kazuko seemed worried that you might be getting lost under the paperwork. I almost suggested there were better people for you to get under—"

"Ino," Sakura burst out, blushing despite her best efforts to avoid it. "I told you I don't have any interest in Kazuko, not like that."

Chuckling under her breath, Ino studied Sakura for a long moment. "Do you have that kind of interest in Yamato?"

"I don't have that kind of interest in anyone," Sakura snipped, hating the heat that filled her voice and face. She blew out a breath and tried to regain control of herself. "I'm assuming those are Yamato's results?"

At the mention of the official report, Ino's levity bled away; the set of her mouth and the way she carried herself changed. Sakura marveled at the ease with which her friend switched between her professional persona and the friendly one. Ino's eyes fell on the folder that she'd left on Sakura's desk as she nodded. "That's the official report, yes."

"If I'm being honest, I'm surprised you got Yamato to submit to the screening. His results are," the blond paused, searching for a word, "not good."

Sakura's stomach clenched with nervousness despite having known to expect the worst. Even so, she dipped her head. "If I thought they would be, I wouldn't have required an evaluation."

Reaching across the desk, Sakura pulled the folder closer. Neatly printed font filled the single page nestled inside. She skimmed the words before settling on the final recommendation: one month conditional leave with counseling, then reevaluation. Sakura exhaled, unsure whether to feel relieved or worried that Ino agreed with her. As if she could read her friend's thoughts, the blond frowned. "His answers weren't bad, but I got the feeling that most of them were lies."

Sakura's head shot up, recalling the rudimentary examination that she'd done as part of the physical. Tenzo had lied then, too. Ino shrugged. "He wouldn't tell me what was going on, but there's definitely something."

For some reason, Ino's diagnosis sent a flash of pleasure through Sakura's body. Tenzo hadn't opened up with Ino the way that he had with her recently. She knew that it was stupid to feel satisfaction; he needed to talk about the things that he was dealing with. But, it felt nice to have a part of Tenzo to herself.

When Sakura didn't speak, Ino cleared her throat. "Do you know what's going on?"

"I know what his medical exams revealed," Sakura hedged, trying not to lie while withholding information. She didn't feel comfortable revealing the details that Tenzo shared with her. There was a delicate line between friendship and doctor/patient confidentiality. Sakura walked it daily. "What do you recommend?"

"Without knowing the full extent of Yamato's condition, I would recommend a month of counseling, at least two or three times a week." Ino's brow furrowed as she worked through some detail in her mind. "There are a couple of group meetings he could attend, but we don't get many people at those. So, I'd suggest individual sessions. I could fit him into my schedule, if he'd feel more comfortable. Do you think he'd go for it?"

For a second, Sakura considered the question. Tenzo wouldn't like having to do counseling, but he wasn't going to have a choice. "If he wants to be reinstated for active duty, he will."

Chuckling, Ino dipped her head, then looked thoughtful. "You said there were two Anbu who needed evaluations, right? Your second one never showed."

Saiyo. The memory of the debacle in Tenzo's apartment soured Sakura's mood. She wanted to untangle the situation between the pair, but she wasn't sure how to go about it. Sakura wondered if Tenzo's demons had anything to do with the golden-eyed woman who was so clearly in love with him. It amused her that he ignored Saiyo's heated looks; he couldn't be oblivious to them. Sakura hoped that she'd never been that moony over Sasuke.

Despite her personal dislike of Saiyo, it was Sakura's duty as Anbu medic to get the woman the help that she needed. She nodded to Ino's original question. "There was. I'll reach out and see if I can get them to come in."

Ino glanced down at her wrist, and frowned. "I've got an appointment in twenty minutes, so I better get back to the office."

"Of course." Sakura rose when Ino did and offered a respectful bow between colleagues. "Thank you for bringing the results to the office personally."

"We should catch up soon; it's been a while." Ino turned toward the door, then paused and looked over her shoulder. Brow creased, the woman stared at Sakura for two heartbeats. "You know you can't save Yamato if he doesn't want to be saved, right?"

Panic clutched Sakura, hot and sudden as a kunai through the throat. She shoved the sensation away. "Yeah, I know."

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Tenzo's first day alone passed with frustrating slowness. He tried reading, napping, and pacing circles around his apartment, but it didn't break up the monotony of obligatory leave. He worried about the person who was overseeing Anbu in his absence. Had the burden been shoved onto Kakashi's already full plate of responsibilities? Did they choose Sai, perhaps? A different captain? Tenzo hated the questions and the unknowns almost as much as he hated the nervous energy that vibrated through his body.

A few hours ago, Sakura stopped by with a bag of sandwiches from the hospital cafeteria and encouraged Tenzo to eat. The thought hadn't crossed his mind until then, but he made himself try one. When he'd woken up, Tenzo had been surprised to find a note suggesting that Sakura had spent the night. The blankets on her side of the bed were rumpled, but there were no other traces of the woman in the apartment. He felt bad that she'd wasted more time taking care of him when she should have been focusing on herself.

As they were eating lunch, Tenzo started to tell Sakura that she didn't need to keep checking up on him. But, for some reason, the words wouldn't come out. He found that he didn't want Sakura to believe that he didn't need her, as selfish as that was. Knowing that the woman would continue to show up made it easier for Tenzo to keep himself in check. He didn't want to disappoint her by falling back to the same stupid decisions that he'd made in the past.

So, Tenzo paced around his apartment like a caged animal and waited for the evening. The expected knock came near dusk, and he rose almost instantly. He pulled the door open more quickly than he intended, and Sakura's lips lifted in a tired smile. "Hey you," she offered, slipping into the apartment like it was natural. In a way, Tenzo supposed it was.

As Sakura kicked off her sandals, her shoulders slumped with exhaustion. She dropped her bag beside her shoes, then crossed the room to throw herself onto the couch. Nestling into one corner, she tucked her legs under her then looked up at Tenzo. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than you, it seems," Tenzo teased, pasting a falsely bright smile on his lips. Hopefully Sakura wouldn't be able to see through it. "Tough day?"

Sakura rolled her shoulders, producing a low popping sound from her neck. "It was long, with lots of things to catch up on."

Tenzo took a step forward, half intending to massage Sakura's shoulders, then stopped himself. "I'm sorry I make things more difficult."

"It's fine." Sakura flashed the same easy smile that she seemed to manage no matter what was going on. Then, she tilted her head to study Tenzo more fully. "But, how are you, really?"

Raising his shoulders in a shrug, Tenzo joined Sakura on the couch. "I'm going stir crazy here. If I don't get cleared for duty soon, I'm probably going to lose my mind. Do you have any idea how much longer this is going to take?"

While it felt good to get the question out, Tenzo's heart sank when Sakura's eyes darted away from his face. She knew that he wasn't going to like the answer. Sighing, she sat up and worried her lower lip between her teeth before speaking. "Ino brought your results by, yes. She recommends therapy sessions over the next couple of weeks, then we'll evaluate your progress."

"Weeks," Tenzo burst out. Despair crashed over him like a wave, making it impossible to breathe. "Did you tell her I'm already making progress? Can't you clear me for light duty, at least?"

Sakura sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "You knew this was going to take time; don't try to rush it. The earliest opening Ino has is on Friday. After that, we'll see how things are."

"Friday," Tenzo hissed in disbelief. "It's only Wednesday!"

Tenzo wasn't sure that he could spend another day doing nothing while staring out the window to distract himself from how miserable his life was. Sakura didn't answer as she stood and stretched. When she walked back toward the door, Tenzo tried and failed to constrain himself to an annoyed grunt. "So what? I'll go lay on her couch, spill out my problems, and it'll make everything better?"

Sakura didn't comment on the snarky response. The woman's refusal to acknowledge Tenzo's annoyance only stoked his anger. She lifted a long sleeved shirt and sweatpants from her bag, setting them on the floor next to her. "I'm going to change, then we can spar. I think burning off some steam would do us both good."

"Fine," Tenzo grouched, reaching for his shoes. "Anything is better than staying here."

Tenzo and Sakura didn't speak as they walked through the nearly deserted streets of Konoha. The late hour and creeping chill kept most people indoors at this time of evening. Tenzo blew out a breath as he angled toward the training ground that they'd used the previous night. This one provided enough privacy for Sakura and Tenzo to let loose in a way that ones closer to the village didn't. Not that he anticipated needing ninjutsu to win.

Moving through the falling darkness almost felt like heading out for a mission. The realization left Tenzo antsy and frustrated. The idea that he'd be out of commission for another couple of weeks irritated him. He'd been doing better lately; there'd only been one setback. If he couldn't get back to work soon, he would lose his mind. These sparring sessions provided some relief from the nervous tension, but it wasn't enough.

"Same rules as last night?" Sakura turned to face Tenzo in the semi-darkness, her eyes brighter than the dying sunlight behind her shoulder.

Tenzo drew a deep breath and nodded, turning to face the woman. Sakura stood half a dozen feet away, her fingers raised in the universal symbol of readiness. Laughter rumbled in Tenzo's throat; that type of trust would get her killed one day. Tenzo had used the previous spar to test Sakura's skills. He'd toyed with her, feigning weakness to see how she'd improved over the years. While the woman had earned her rank of jonin, she wasn't Anbu, and Tenzo didn't feel like play fighting any longer.

Two minutes into the spar, Tenzo ducked beneath a flat palmed strike and swept Sakura's feet out from under her. She hit the ground hard and glared up at him, teeth gritted against the impact. Sakura had gotten quicker with taijutsu, but Tenzo was faster. He slipped backward without offering a hand to pull her back to her feet. Adrenaline flooded through his veins, producing the only high he was allowed to chase now. Moving felt good, far better than sitting in his apartment all day.

Huffing, Sakura climbed to her feet. As the woman dusted off her pants, Tenzo lunged and drove her toward the trees. Sakura growled and moved backward, blocking the rain of blows with crossed forearms. Even so, the flurry left marks on her thigh, shoulder, and stomach. With every tap, Sakura grew more frustrated. Tenzo didn't bother pointing out that it only made her easier to counter.

Sakura hit the ground five more times in rapid succession. Fury shone in her eyes when she picked herself up the sixth time. Letting out an amused breath, Tenzo dodged a roundhouse kick that would have sent him flying. He spun with the grace of a trained operative, ending with the edge of his hand pressed against Sakura's neck. Her fingers jabbed into his ribs, a poor trade in damage. Tenzo's blow would have crushed her windpipe; at most, Sakura's would have left him sore the next day.

Jerking her chin upward to throw damp tendrils of hair from her face, Sakura glared at Tenzo. "Did you let me win last night?"

It would have been easy to lie, to let Sakura save face. But, irritation and anger mixed with adrenaline in Tenzo's veins, an unfamiliar song after weeks of inactivity. He dipped his head. "Yes."

An expletive burst through Sakura's lips as she shoved Tenzo away with two hands to his chest. The movement was almost as surprising as the curse. He danced backward when she threw herself forward, hands and feet flashing with lightning precision. Tenzo dipped under another kick and struck at Sakura's unprotected leg. She rolled away with the momentum of his attack, coming up two paces from where she'd been. Tenzo nodded in grudging respect and surged forward, blows coming from every direction at once.

Sakura blocked the attacks with her arms and shins, grunting with every jolting contact. Even so, her guard never lowered. Tenzo couldn't get close enough for another killing strike. When he tried to knock Sakura's feet out from under her again, she leaped over his leg and turned. Her fist caught the edge of Tenzo's jaw, landing Sakura's first strike of the evening. It would be her last.

Snapping one hand up, Tenzo caught Sakura's wrist and spun her around. Her back hit his chest with a solid thud that might have knocked the air from her lungs. If not, Tenzo's superior height and weight made it easy to trap Sakura's body against his. She hissed and slammed the elbow of her free arm against his side. Tenzo tightened his hand, opening his stance when Sakura tried to stomp on his foot. "Yield," he demanded through gritted teeth. "It's over."

Unable to break Tenzo's grip on her wrist, Sakura turned into it. Being face to face didn't change much; even if they had been using weapons, Sakura gained access to Tenzo's throat while offering the same to him. Sparks glinted in the woman's emerald eyes as she stared up at him. Sweat ran down Sakura's cheek, clutching at the strands of hair that had come loose during their bout. She almost—Tenzo realized Sakura's intention a second too late. Her knee jerked up between his legs, and his world erupted in pain.

Training kept Tenzo on his feet as waves of agony rolled through his body. He couldn't maintain his grip. When his fingers released, Sakura planted a leg to jump backward, but Tenzo threw himself forward at almost the same instance. Tangling their feet together, he used his bulk to carry Sakura to the ground. Under usual circumstances, he would have softened the blow by trying to catch his weight on hands or elbows. This time, he didn't bother.

Sakura's right hand bounced off the ground with the impact. Before she could gain an advantage, Tenzo caught her wrist and pinned it flat against the grass. Forcing the second into the same position, he blew out a breath. The woman twisted in the scant space between their bodies, bucking and fighting with every ounce of her strength. Tenzo positioned himself higher than Sakura's dangerous knees and pressed his weight onto her hands to immobilize her. "Surrender," he growled.

A swath of dirt covered Sakura's right cheek, and blood oozed from the corner of her mouth when she spat the words. "I yield."

Tenzo remained still for three heartbeats, then he rolled to the side. Sakura rubbed her wrist with one hand and pushed into a sitting position. When the woman didn't spring back to her feet to renew the spar, he settled on the grass beside her. A cool breeze swirled between them, drying the sweat on Tenzo's face. Sakura wiped the blood from her mouth with the back of her hand. "Don't let me win because you think it'll make me feel better," she whispered. "I've had a lifetime of that."

Not meeting Tenzo's eyes, Sakura pulled the tie from her hair and shook out the pale tresses. Guilt settled in his stomach as he laid back on the cold grass. "Okay," he agreed, keeping his voice light to diffuse the tension between them. "That was a dirty move, by the way."

Sakura didn't answer, but Tenzo felt the woman shifting in the space beside him. He didn't press for an apology or conversation; when Sakura wanted to talk, she would. Instead, he focused on the black expanse overhead. When Tenzo exhaled, it was cold enough that he half expected to see his breath. It made the warmth of Sakura's hip next to his more noticable. "Your rule was hand to hand," the woman observed after a moment. "I didn't use any weapons. Besides, Anbu use any tactic to win, right?"

"Except, you aren't in Anbu," Tenzo pointed out. He interlaced his fingers over his stomach and watched several thin clouds scuttle across the moon before continuing. "And, this wasn't a real fight."

"It's always a real fight." Sakura returned, voice soft with melancholy that Tenzo couldn't place.

Tenzo pushed onto one elbow to watch Sakura. She sat with her knees drawn up in front of her chest, arms wrapped around them. Something had calmed the explosive fire of a few minutes ago; Sakura stared at the forest with a pensive expression on her face. "You've improved a lot," Tenzo offered after several seconds of silence.

"Oh, yeah." Bitter laughter bubbled through Sakura's lips. "Twenty-four hours makes a huge difference, huh?"

"You know that isn't what I meant." Tenzo pushed himself upright and bumped Sakura's shoulder with his. The woman's shrug brought a frown to his cheeks. "Are you okay?

A soft exhale answered the question. Something unfamiliar tightened in the pit of Tenzo's stomach. It had been a long time since he fought with Sakura, or anyone who wasn't Anbu. Had he overdone it? "Did I hurt you?"

Shaking her head, Sakura glanced over at Tenzo. "No, and I don't need any special favors. I've never measured up, so I'm used to it."

"I didn't pull my punches because I thought you were weak," Tenzo argued. Even as he said the words, shame twisted inside his chest. Had he gone easier on Sakura than he would have with Saiyo? Had he treated her as less than him because of the difference in their ranks? He shook his head. "I held back because we're friends, and that's what you do in a friendly spar."

Sakura scoffed and rolled her eyes. "No, friends push each other to get better."

"I didn't hold back my attacks. I just stopped them from being lethal," Tenzo pointed out with a huff. "You've gotten better. Three years ago, you wouldn't have been able to land a single hit.'

"I barely managed one," Sakura groused, stretching her legs in front of her. "That isn't much improvement."

Chuckling, Tenzo nudged Sakura a second time. "So, you're trying to join Anbu instead of being content as a jonin?"

Emerald eyes cut up to Tenzo's face, then rolled toward the sky. "No, but—"

"No, but you landed one hit on the head of Anbu, a shinobi who has been in the organization longer than you've been alive." Tenzo shook his head at the realization of how old he'd gotten before offering a tight smile. "I'd say that's an improvement."

A flush of approval appeared on Sakura's cheeks. "Should I turn in my application, then?"

Bile flooded Tenzo's mouth at the thought of Sakura joining Anbu. "No, absolutely not."

The woman's smile fell, and hurt crossed her features. "I was—"

"You're too good for Anbu," Tenzo clarified, surprised at the heat in his voice. Warmth bloomed in his cheeks as he realized how strongly he felt about the issue. Anbu would destroy the gentleness and hope that made Sakura who she was. "You're better than the rest of us."

Sakura chuckled under her breath. "Yeah, that's exactly why they won't make me an elite soldier, because I'm better than them."

"They won't make you Anbu because you're too valuable to risk." Tenzo wondered if Sakura had had aspirations to join the Black Ops. He couldn't imagine anyone less suited for the position, except for Naruto with his penchant for ignoring orders, perhaps. "You're too valuable for a lot of reasons."

"Yeah, no other shinobi could run the hospital so poorly that a civilian could do it better," Sakura grumbled.

Tenzo frowned at the sharpness in the woman's words. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Don't worry about it." Sakura pushed to her feet and brushed the dirt off of her pants before offering a hand. "It's getting late; we should head back."

Tenzo worried as Sakura pulled him back into a standing position. Was she having trouble at work? Was it because he'd taken up so much of her time with his personal problems? Did he need to talk to Kakashi about the load of responsibilities on Sakura since she took over as Anbu medic? Was there something deeper going on?

The questions buzzed in Tenzo's mind like insistent flies, but he knew that now wasn't the time to ask. Sakura didn't want to get into an explanation or she would have. He nodded and let her keep her secrets. "You're right. Since it's been a rough day, I'll make dinner for you when we get home."

The corners of Sakura's lips lifted in a smile. "Thanks, I'd like that."

#My writing #Healing Hands #YamaSaku #Tenzo #Yamato #Sakura #Recovery Fic #Mental Health Fic #Shinobi Deserve Better #Tenzo especially #Slooooooooooooooooooooooow burn

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astraeal · 2 years

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healing hands 3/?

ship: éomer/faramir rating: explicit a/n: another chapter from faramir's pov. this one is a little repetitive but the future chapters won't be as much - i just had written some of this stuff before and i really wanted to use it, so here we are!

There is something in the water. The elves coaxed it forth, for it now brings new life to the barren gardens that had fallen to ruin under the Steward’s ignorant gaze.

In the latter years, his focus had been solely on militaristic pursuits, leaving nothing for the things that make life, well, possible. Food was not scarce, but it certainly was not cultivated as well as it could have been. The elves have appointed themselves the chieftains of beauty and restoration, and have led the charge with gardening sermons for both aesthetic and nourishment. The Gondorians find it helpful, not overstepping in the slightest, as their memories do not stretch back far enough to recall when their guarded tower was the tower of the sun.

They do not remember peace.

While the elves coax the water into new and mysterious alimentary streams, the dwarves have taken to working over the great white stones of the city. Architecture comes easily to these great craftsmen, particularly Gimli, who still keenly feels the loss of a great city of his own. It is his craftsmanship that is leading the way towards repairing the Great Gate, destroyed in the battle. His days are spent in concert with his kinsman, drafting and redrafting new improvements upon this fortress.

The lessons Gimli has learned from Helm’s Deep continue to apply.

All of this takes place within the regular confines of the city. In the lowest levels, tucked away in the stables, the Rohirrim rest with their horses. It is the closest thing they are used to, and though peace was hard won, they will not abandon their horses in their time of need. Many still bear the traumas of the most recent battle, and many still cannot be used for the all important task of clearing the battlefield. It has slowed the progress considerably. On hot days, when the wind is wrong, the scent of charred and decomposing corpses sweeps into the stables.

Oh, how the horses scream.

Faramir can hear it in the upper levels, a faint reminder to all of the primal memory of beast. They will not forget, no matter how much policy is wrung out of these tender footed days.

Today, thankfully, the winds blow in the opposite direction, and the horses are left with peace. As he follows the winding pathway to the council rooms, he looks over the edge. Piles of corpses gather in flame, the cleanest way to ensure a mass burial. Both Gondor and Rohan have already had a general funeral rite for all who passed during the Battle of Pelennor Fields - many minstrels have already begun constructing songs to pass into a new age.

Now all that remains is the cleansing.

Faramir watches the small dots of men and horses helping to clear the weapons, bodies, and boulders from the fields. The dead in Minas Tirith have been cleared out prior, with their own civilian rites intact.

But these were not civilians. They were brothers in arms, content to lay down their lives to usher in a brighter day. And though those days are here, they cannot enjoy them.

Faramir should be among them.

Read the rest here!

#healing hands #éomer #faramir #eomer x faramir #lotr fic #lord of the rings fic #just making things up as i go!!

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meluiloth · 4 months

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Table of Contents

A masterlist of all my writing works, which you can read on my Quotev account, linked below:

Arcadian Artist | Quotev

Fanfictions:

❧Healing Hands The Lord of the Rings The clouds of war hang heavy over Rohan, stealing the life away from the once-proud city and its people. With the dead and injured crowding the House of Healing, Eyrell—the clinic's overseer—chooses to brave the dangerous task of traveling abroad to replenish the medicines her people need. Along the way, she stumbles into a world that is bigger, darker, and more dangerous than she even knew, and a perilous quest that may decide the fate of Middle-Earth itself. Amidst the struggle of battle, survival, morality, and the increasingly difficult task of keeping her new companions alive, Eyrell also deals with a growing love for the brave and steadfast Captain of Gondor... and a terrible gift that can only end in heartbreak. How much grief and death can the healer, as determined as she is gentle, take before she loses all hope? -Tenth Walker, Boromir romance, Tragedy -Complete

❧Traitor The Lord of the Rings Esandryya is an Uruk-Hai, a monster created for war and conquest—but she chooses to reject her brutal purpose and seeks a life of peace. Her search for a home leads her to Mirkwood, where she stumbles upon Legolas, who is both an old enemy and the Prince of the forest—and against all odds, she befriends him. Realizing that her life of bare survival is missing much more than she had thought at first, Esandryya embarks upon a quest to the Undying Lands. -Post-War of the Ring, Free Orc, No pairings -Complete -First part of The Outcast Trilogy

❧Misfit - The Lord of the Rings Culfin is a half-Elf who has lived most of his life with the Rangers of the North and his Human mother. His life is exciting, dangerous, and familiar—until he suffers the brutal loss of those closest to him. Devastated and directionless, he returns to Mirkwood to reconnect with his Elven father and heritage. But he does not receive the welcome he is hoping for. Old wounds are reopened, new wounds are dealt, and Culfin's life gradually begins to fall apart as he learns his hundreds of years of experience as a Ranger amount to little when compared to the Elves' wisdom and skills honed through centuries. He simply does not fit in, no matter how hard he tries... but the appearance of a rogue Orc in his kingdom might just be the opportunity he is looking for to prove himself. -Pre- and Post-War of the Ring, Canon isn't involved a lot, Angst -Ongoing, Updates Weekly on Sundays -Second part of The Outcast Trilogy

❧Short Stories from Middle-Earth, a compilation of one-shots about Tolkien's characters from The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, and more. -Ongoing, slow updates

❧A Fool's Errand The Lord of the Rings Rashune, an Orc from Mordor, is captured by the Elves of Rivendell when a scouting mission goes awry. Her punishment is to lead the Fellowship of the Ring to Mordor to destroy a weapon belonging to her master, and they do not care if she lives or dies. She hates them just as much – her only goal is to break free from her bonds and destroy them to avenge both herself and her brother, whom the Elves have killed. Will she succeed, or die trying? Or will she perhaps come to like these people more than she expected? When an Orc joins the Fellowship of the Ring, shenanigans ensue. -Tenth Walker, Orc Oc, No pairings -Ongoing, Updates Weekly on Fridays

❧Seeing Eye to Eye The Lord of the Rings Laegwen has always been alone in the darkness for as long as she can remember. She has been cast out by all of her people, forced to live in the shadows and the darkness. When an opportunity arrives for her to rise to power and fame by helping a fellowship cast a Ring into the fire, she decides to take it and risk everything---but what happens when the Dark lord himself pays attention to her like no one else has? will Laegwen stay with Legolas, Aragorn, Gandalf, Sam, Frodo, Merry, Pippin, Gimli, and Boromir even though they didn't like her anyways, or will she embrace the Darkness in her and join Sauron as his Queen? Disclaimer: This fic is a parody on common fanfiction tropes, not meant to be taken seriously. Think of it as the Mel Brooks of Lord of the Rings fanfiction. -Tenth Walker, Sauron Romance, Parody -Ongoing

If you're interested in any of these, I would love it if you read my stories, or asked/commented about them! I always love talking about my characters and stories.

Thanks for reading!

#lord of the rings #minecraft #outer wilds #the silmarillion #the hobbit #a monster by any other name #healing hands #eyrell #traitor #esandryya #misfit #culfin

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hallmarknostalgia · 2 years

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Healing Hands (2010). dir. Bradford May

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dimigex · 2 years

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Locked Doors and Baby Steps (Healing Hands, Chapter 14, YamaSaku)

Art by @tammi25

Fanfiction, A03

If you enjoy this story and are interested in commissioning me, information can be found here. You can also find me on Ko-fi! (chapter below cut)

"This is the last one," Sakura warned, dropping the halved pill into Tenzo's outstretched palm. The man nodded, looking considerably better than she'd anticipated after a week-long detox. It had been miserable, even with the combination of blockers and medical ninjutsu to soften the blow. Tenzo had experienced fever, chills, nausea, headaches, anxiety, and hallucinations of varying degrees over the past few days. The symptoms had become more manageable as his body started to regulate itself again, but they still showed up from time to time.

Throwing his head back, Tenzo swallowed the medicine with a gulp of water from the bottle on the table between them. He exhaled, nervousness flitting across his face. "How bad am I going to feel in eight hours?"

"Probably not much worse than you do right now." Sakura shrugged. While she'd read studies on withdrawal, she had never watched someone live through it, until now. It was fascinating, though she doubted that Tenzo would appreciate her viewing it that way. "As far as I understand it, your body should be starting to adjust to not having alcohol now. The worst of the physical stuff should be over."

Tenzo took another long drink of water, then leveled Sakura with a stare. "But," he prompted.

Sighing, Sakura gentled her voice and dipped her head. "But, we need to talk about the next steps. You have to get into therapy at T&I to deal with whatever caused the issues in the first place."

Even though they'd had this conversation multiple times, Tenzo frowned like it was a new idea. Sakura had been encouraging him to think about what life would look like after detox. It was easy to get wrapped up in the victory of the moment, but Tenzo's job required him to be at his peak, both mentally and physically. Sakura had made it abundantly clear that she had no intention of bending the rules; Tenzo would need to pass the mental evaluation before she would sign his reinstatement paperwork.

"If you want to get it over with, I could pull some strings and get you in today," Sakura suggested. She had no idea if that was true, but she couldn't imagine Ino turning the man away if Sakura asked her to take him in.

Tenzo ran shaky fingers through his dark hair and sighed. "Or, I could just talk to you about things and call it close enough."

As much as Sakura wished that things could be that simple, they weren't. She couldn't help but wonder what demons haunted Tenzo. A dozen theories had presented themselves over the past few days: it had to do with someone he'd killed or watched die. Maybe a close friend had perished because of Tenzo's decision, or he had chosen mercy when he should have executed someone and it led to greater suffering. Even if Sakura knew which of those things bothered Tenzo, she wasn't qualified to decide if he was mentally fit for duty.

"You can talk to me about anything, but I can't clear your psych eval." Sakura resisted the urge to reach across the table and touch Tenzo's hand. Though they'd grown closer over the past couple of weeks, it was still an awkward balancing act between being friends and being too familiar.

Tenzo offered a half grin that only lifted the left side of his mouth. "Or, you could leave that part out of my file, and nobody has to know."

The hopefulness in the man's voice tugged at Sakura's heartstrings, but she shook her head. "The fact that you don't want to go only convinces me that you need to go. Ino is the best at this sort of thing; she can help get it all sorted out."

If the words hurt Tenzo, he gave no indication. After a moment, he nodded toward the fridge. "Are you hungry?"

Over the course of his detox, Tenzo had swung between ravenous and sickened by the smell of food. Even so, he'd been surprised and grateful that Sakura made enough meals for them to have leftovers whenever the mood struck. Her basic grocery shopping had only lasted them for a couple of days, but she'd made a second trip during the middle of the week. Most of the dishes that Sakura had cooked were simple things that could easily be reheated, but it had done the trick of getting them through the worst of it.

Shaking her head to indicate that she wasn't hungry, Sakura rose from the table. She moved toward the living room, leaving Tenzo to scrounge around in the cabinets and fridge. Yawning, Sakura flopped onto the couch. The past couple of weeks had been interesting, exhausting and eye-opening all at once. She glanced at Tenzo from the corner of her eye as he warmed some leftovers in the microwave. Thinking of him as Tenzo instead of Yamato was easier now, but it still came as a shock whenever she stopped long enough to dwell on it.

Sakura had known Tenzo for the better part of five years, but the persona that he showed the rest of the world had fallen away over the past week. She'd gotten used to seeing him in sweatpants and t-shirts with his brown hair sticking up in every direction from not having his head protector to hold it back. Tenzo spoke softer, as well. The commanding tone of his voice had disappeared, morphing into something gentler that made Sakura wonder what he'd been like before Anbu.

Despite the changes that she'd seen, Sakura couldn't help but feel that Tenzo still wore a mask with her. Sometimes, she wondered if he remembered how to take it off, but they had gotten to know each other better. Whenever Tenzo felt well enough, he and Sakura spent hours talking about everything under the sun, though she had a feeling that most of the conversations only brushed the surface of his true thoughts. They also watched television, read, played cards, and did anything they could to keep his mind off of the discomfort in his body.

Most of the time, Sakura had watched and helped out where she could. She had half a dozen new theories on how chakra could aid detox and recovery, but she needed time to finish developing them. There had been space to make a few notes here and there, but the days had mostly passed in a blur.

Tenzo came to the living room with a bowl in hand and settled on the couch next to Sakura. "You should probably head home if you're going. It's getting late," he observed, voice carefully neutral.

Raising a hand to cover the yawn that she couldn't stop, Sakura managed a nervous laugh. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

"Yup." Tenzo flashed a self conscious smile. "We both know I'm going to fall asleep soon anyway."

The medication always made Tenzo drowsy, usually dragging him under within an hour or so of taking it. They had timed the final dose for after dinner so that Tenzo would be able to go to bed not long after, and hopefully get a full night's sleep. Then, in the morning, he could start navigating his new normal without the pills. Though the timing should work out perfectly, Sakura couldn't help but feel like it all sounded too easy.

Sakura fought down another yawn as she nodded. "I know, but I could stay one more night if you think it would help."

"You're exhausted, and rightfully so," Tenzo argued, bumping Sakura's shoulder with his before taking another bite of the rice and vegetable. "I'm just going to sleep anyway, so you should go home and get some rest."

The idea of spending the night in her own bed was so tempting that Sakura could hardly think straight. She'd been crashing on Tenzo's couch so that she could keep an eye on him, which meant sleeping lightly enough to check on the man throughout the night, especially in the first couple of days. A full eight hours or more of sleep sounded like heaven. Sakura dipped her head. "Fine, but you know where to find me if you need anything."

Tenzo chewed and nodded in silence, so Sakura continued to the more difficult part of her plan. "And, you'll come see me first thing in the morning so we can go over to Intelligence?"

Rubbing a free hand over his face, Tenzo sighed without meeting Sakura's gaze. "I guess." She poked his side until he conceded and squirmed away. "Yeah, first thing in the morning, if that's what it takes to get me reinstated."

Nodding, Sakura stood and stretched, her tired muscles and joints popping and creaking with the movement. Pulling her already packed bag over one shoulder, she walked toward the door. Tenzo rose and walked to the kitchen to put his bowl in the sink, then joined Sakura as she pulled on her sandals. It felt strange to be leaving, even though she'd known it was coming. Pausing, Sakura toyed with the strap of her bag. "You're sure, sure?"

Tenzo's lips quirked into an almost smile. "Sure sure."

"Fine," Sakura answered, surprised at her reluctance to walk away now that the time had come. "Hang in there, it'll get better."

"I know." Tenzo's words were soft, and his expression was a mix of sheepish stubbornness that Sakura had come to recognize lately. "Thanks."

Sakura stepped forward to wrap Tenzo in a hug, startling them both. For a second, the man stood there dumbfounded. Then, his arms closed around her, probably more out of instinct than anything else. She stayed there long enough to feel him relax before pulling back. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

A soft pink colored Tenzo's cheeks as he laughed. "I will. I'll see you tomorrow."

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Exhaustion dragged at Sakura as she dropped her bag onto the kitchen table. She wanted to sit down and outline her theories on detox and recovery, but her brain felt too fuzzy to focus. Sakura hadn't slept decently since the first night that Tenzo had shown up at her apartment over a week ago. As a doctor, she could function with next to no sleep for a little while, but now that the crisis was over, her body demanded proper rest.

Leaving her notebook in her bag, Sakura went to the bathroom and turned on the shower. She tossed her clothes into the hamper and stepped under the spray as soon as it had time to warm up. The heat eased the tension that Sakura hadn't recognized in her shoulders and neck. She dropped her head forward, letting the water course down her back. Sakura could have lingered in the shower until it turned cold, but her body needed sleep.

As tempting as a long shower was, Sakura was too tired to enjoy it. She washed quickly, turned the water off, then wrapped a towel around body and twisted a second one around her hair. Sakura knew that she should take the time to moisturize, lotion her body, and dry her hair, but she couldn't be bothered. A quick scrub would have to be enough for tonight. After combing through the damp tresses with her fingers, Sakura pulled them into a loose, messy bun at the base of her neck.

Leaving the bathroom behind, Sakura padded into her bedroom. The opened windows provided enough moonlight for her to see her dresser on one side of the room. She dug through the middle drawer to find her favorite pair of pajama pants. The soft purple fabric kept her warm without making her sweaty under the blankets. Sakura wished that she'd bought more of them. Pairing the pants with a black cami, she climbed into bed with a happy sigh.

Almost as soon as Sakura closed her eyes, Tenzo nagged at the back of her mind. She couldn't do anything for him tonight; he'd either survive without the medicine or fall back into the same habits that he'd been struggling with. As much as she wanted to fix everything, most of it relied on him. Sakura had done what she could, and she'd make sure that Ino took care of him in the morning, that was all she could do.

As she waited for sleep to find her, Sakura tried to imagine what Ino might be like as a therapist. The woman would probably be far too nosy and pushy, but she'd get results. Ino always managed to drag out whatever secrets Sakura wanted to keep hidden. She'd gotten her to talk about Sasuke, just like Tenzo had. The two of them might become fast friends. Ino was certainly likable enough, and Tenzo was coming out of his shell. She'd seen flashes of a playful personality beneath his serious demeanor.

Grinning at the thought of Ino and Tenzo gossiping over coffee like old friends, Sakura fell asleep. Her thoughts jumbled together in a nonsensical dream where Tenzo tried to perfect some yoga stance while Ino complained that he was crushing the flowers she'd just planted on the rooftop garden. Sakura sat beneath the shadow of an umbrella covered table, watching the pair of them with amusement as she sipped hot tea from the mug between her hands.

Noise broke through the whisper of wind and bird chatter. Ino's voice reprimanded Tenzo while he chuckled and made minor adjustments to where he stood. Sakura frowned, wondering why neither of them turned toward the vague sound niggling at the edges of the room. She let her eyes sweep across the rooftop, searching for the source of the gentle knocking. Tenzo laughed at something Ino said as Sakura rose from her seat. The pair didn't seem to notice when the sound returned, louder than before.

The floral scented air scattered with the next breeze, throwing Sakura back into the shadows of her room. Her sleep numbed mind struggled to make sense of the world as her voice answered automatically. "Hello?"

"Couldn't sleep." The mumbled words pulled at Sakura's heart as she rubbed exhaustion from her eyes. Moonlight shone on the man in the doorway as he toyed with the sleeve of his shirt. The appearance and words were familiar after the last couple of weeks. The almost palpable anxiety was part of the detox process. Except, Sakura had been there for the others. This time, Tenzo was alone.

"Nightmares?" Sakura asked, eyes adjusting to the darkness. Tenzo's hands shook when he stopped fidgeting long enough to press one against the center of his chest. His shallow breath hissed into his lungs like a wheeze, a familiar sound. "Panic attack?"

Tenzo exhaled hard, fingers tightening to pull his sweatshirt away from his body like it was crowding him. "I can't breathe," he gasped.

Pushing the blankets off, Sakura climbed out of bed. "Yes you can," she coaxed. "If you couldn't breathe, you couldn't talk. Look at me."

As Sakura reached Tenzo, his brown eyes flicked to her face, then focused on her eyes. He'd had more than one anxiety attack that left him gasping for air during the course of his detox. He and Sakura had come up with dozens of grounding techniques to help take the edge off. Ironically, the simplest had been focusing on her. Tenzo's hands came to rest on Sakura's shoulders, warm against her bare skin, and she wrapped her fingers around his wrists.

"Follow my breath," Sakura encouraged, exaggerating each inhale and exhale to make them more obvious. She repeated the words twice before Tenzo's chest started to rise and fall with hers. Trailing her thumb along the underside of his right wrist to provide another anchor to reality, Sakura nodded. Tenzo's hands curled, nails pressing into Sakura's skin, but his next inhale came easier. "Good."

The glazed expression receded from Tenzo's eyes and his grip relaxed, but he didn't let go. He breathed Sakura's name, voice strangled despite the fading panic. She squeezed, stepping closer. "I'm here."

Tenzo's shoulders relaxed, and his head tipped forward with relief. For a moment, all that Sakura could see was the intensity of his gaze. She lifted her chin, refusing to break the contact that helped pull him back from the brink. Tenzo's next breath warmed her cheek as he closed his eyes. "I'm sorry," he murmured, releasing Sakura's shoulders.

"You've got nothing to apologize for." Letting her hands fall away from Tenzo's wrists, Sakura chuckled. Her lungs felt too small, like the oxygen in the room couldn't fill them as much as she needed it to. "Though, I'd like to know why you were knocking on my bedroom, as opposed to the front door, like a normal person."

Despite the poor lighting, Sakura saw a warm blush spread across Tenzo's cheeks as he shrugged. "You must not have heard it the first time, and I didn't want to cause a scene. So, I picked the lock."

Sakura raised one eyebrow toward the ceiling. "What if I had set up traps or threw a kunai at you?"

"I would have avoided it." Tenzo shrugged, running a hand through his hair.

"Of course you would have, Mr. Anbu Captain," Sakura teased, eliciting an almost grin from Tenzo. She glanced at the clock on the nightstand, surprised to find that it was shortly after three. The medicine would have worn off a couple hours ago, so it was a good sign that he'd lasted a little while without it.

Tenzo offered a half smile as an apology, but Sakura saw the exhaustion behind his gaze. She stared up at him for a long moment, then nodded behind her. "Come to bed?"

The man's visible double take prompted a deep laugh from Sakura. "There's still a couple of hours before dawn, and we could both use more sleep. Do you think you'd be able to?"

"Maybe," Tenzo shrugged, cutting his eyes toward the still tidy linens with a deeper flush coloring his cheeks. "I don't know."

Climbing back into bed, Sakura pulled the blankets across her lap and fought down a yawn. "Come on. I promise I won't bite, and I'm not sleeping on the couch again."

"I can sleep on the couch," Tenzo insisted. He shook his head while gesturing at the bed. "This would be too weird."

"It's no weirder than the past three days. Is it Tenzo?" Sakura accentuated the man's name to remind him how much things had changed between them. Reaching out, she grabbed Tenzo's arm and pulled. He stumbled forward two steps, nearly fell, then caught himself on the headboard with one hand. "If it freaks you out, you can sleep on top of the blankets. But, I promise this is more comfortable than crashing on the couch."

For two heartbeats, Tenzo didn't move. Sakura watched the emotions play across his face, wondering if she'd pushed too far. Despite having spent almost a week living together, this was something new, something foreign. Sakura had checked on Tenzo throughout the nights or slept on the couch as the medicine lulled his mind into unconsciousness, but this was actively helping him relax.

"There's a blanket at the foot of the bed, if you need it," Sakura pointed out, watching Tenzo with a mixture of gentleness and amusement.

Pushing himself away from the headboard, Tenzo reached for the dark blue throw. Sakura breathed a sigh of relief when he moved to the other side of the bed and sat down. She rolled over to face him as he leaned back, but almost immediately, Tenzo sat up. "Just relax." Sakura rested one hand in the center of his chest and guided him toward the pillows. "Lie back."

Tenzo sank onto the extra pillows and blew out a breath, body stiff. The man's jaw clenched around the awkwardness of their situation. Sakura wasn't sure if he'd welcome physical contact, but she brushed her fingers against the back of Tenzo's hand anyway. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really," Tenzo answered, not quite pulling away from the touch, but not reaching for either. "It was just a panic attack."

Sakura hummed in understanding, she'd never wanted to talk about them either. "Can I do anything specific to help you sleep?"

When Tenzo shook his head the way she'd expected, Sakura curled up beneath the blanket and yawned. "Okay, well, I'm here if you think of anything."

As much as Sakura tried to make herself available, she couldn't keep her eyes open. The silence and darkness dragged her back toward sleep. As Sakura fell into the blackness, a single thought surfaced: hopefully, Tenzo would follow.

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Sunlight irritated Tenzo's eyelids until they slitted open to reveal unfamiliar grey walls around him. He blinked, taking several long seconds to remember that he'd fallen asleep in Sakura's apartment. Not just in her apartment, but in her bed, his brain supplied helpfully. The woman's warmth nestled against his left hip, three layers of blankets between them. Sakura had cocooned beneath the covers, pink hair barely visible above them.

Rather than risk waking the woman up by climbing out of bed, Tenzo looked around the small room more fully in the morning light. The subdued colors seemed at odds with the vibrancy that was Sakura. The furniture was plain and slightly battered, like she'd owned it as a child or picked it up second hand. There were a few splashes of color around the room, but it felt sterile compared to what he'd expected. A picture of Team Kakashi sat on the dresser, three far too innocent faces staring out of the frame.

A more recent photo of Team Seven sat beside the first, but Sasuke was missing from this one. Instead, Naruto grinned over a bowl of ramen while Sakura beamed at his side. Sai sat next to them with a half smile on his lips that could have meant anything. Kakashi stood behind the three, eye smiling. In the corner of the frame, Tenzo stared down at a piece of paper in his hand. He had no idea when the picture had been taken or who had snapped it, but he was certain that he'd been left holding the bill.

Tenzo almost chuckled at the image, but stopped himself short when he remembered where he was. His mirth died further at the reminder that in just a few short hours, he would be submitting himself to the Intelligence division. Technically, Anbu was part of T&I, or at least a close cousin who worked hand in hand with it. Anytime a mission required for someone to be taken alive, they were turned over for interrogation. None of the Anbu liked to think about what went on behind closed doors, but they all had their suspicions.

And now, I'm going to find out willingly. Tenzo shuddered and extracted himself from the single blanket that he'd used. Sakura mumbled something that he couldn't catch then curled tighter in her cocoon. Tenzo crossed to the small bathroom and examined his reflection in the mirror. His eyes were clearer than they'd been in a long time, but red spidered across the whites in places. He turned the water on and raised a handful to his mouth, swishing it around to remove the cottony sleep taste from his tongue.

Dozens of bottles lined Sakura's counter, most with names that Tenzo didn't understand even after reading them. He didn't linger long, though. For some reason, examining this part of Sakura's life felt like an invasion. He wondered if the woman had felt the same way in his apartment, or if she took it stride better than he had. She'd spent several days there and never raised a question about his belongings.

Shrugging off the thought for another time, Tenzo crept out of the bedroom and into the rest of the apartment. He headed for the kitchen out of habit. A quick rummage through the cabinets revealed that Sakura didn't have any tea that might take the edge off the morning. He filled a glass with water instead and took a drink. As Tenzo did so, he heard soft footfalls on the tile behind him. Turning, he found a bleary eyed, pink haired mess.

Sakura yawned as she stepped past Tenzo to reach for the coffee. "Did you get any sleep?"

"Some," Tenzo conceded with the dip of his chin. He had fallen into a fitful sleep some time after Sakura did, plagued by vague nightmares that he couldn't remember. That was preferable to the alternative, at least. "You?"

"Some," Sakura mimicked, stifling a yawn. She ran a hand through her unruly tresses which had pulled loose from her ponytail to stick out in every direction, then frowned. "What are you staring at?"

Tenzo realized that he'd spent too long trying to figure out why Sakura looked different. He finally settled on the strands of pink that were more fluffy and less sleek than usual. He averted his eyes with a shrug. "Nothing."

Grumbling under her breath, Sakura stretched her arms above her head until the soft pop of bone echoed in the room. The sleeveless top that she wore rode up to reveal a smooth expanse of toned muscle across her stomach. Tenzo frowned at the painful noise. "That doesn't sound healthy."

"That's an old wives tale." Sakura tugged her clothing back into position with an eye roll. "Popping your joints is perfectly safe as long as you don't overstrain them."

Tenzo shrugged and took another sip of his drink. "Sure, if you say so."

"I do say so," Sakura returned, pushing past Tenzo to rummage around the cabinets. She produced a packet of oatmeal from one of the shelves, then returned it with a grimace. The refrigerator offered even less, and the woman huffed out a sigh. "I need to go shopping."

"I could pick something up. I wanted to go home and change anyway." Tenzo indicated his sweatpants and t-shirt. He wasn't sure what a person was supposed to wear to counseling, but he knew that it wasn't this.

Sakura appraised Tenzo over the mug that she'd lifted from another shelf. "You'll come back? I won't have to chase you down this time?"

Tenzo flashed a grin as if he hadn't just been considering skipping therapy all together. "I'll come back. I promise."

After another couple of seconds of scrutiny, Sakura nodded. "Alright. I'll see you in about an hour."

--------------------------------------------

An hour and a half later, Tenzo and Sakura stood together outside the Intelligence building. He'd changed into jeans and a t-shirt, at least in part to avoid drawing attention to himself. Sakura had been adamant that Tenzo was off duty until he got cleared by psych. The uniform only served to remind him that he was no longer Anbu; he wasn't even a pretend jonin of Konoha. It had been so long since Tenzo dressed as himself that he wasn't sure what that meant any longer.

When Tenzo had arrived back at Sakura's apartment, a bag of muffins in one hand and coffee in the other, the woman had transformed back into someone that he knew. Her wild hair had been tamed into straight pink tresses that framed her face, and the comfort of her pajamas exchanged for the familiar black leggings and red dress. Neither of them spoke about the walls that they'd knocked down the previous night, or the ease with which they rebuilt them in the morning.

"It's going to be fine," Sakura decided, her voice filled with the confidence of someone who wasn't about to have their mind poked and prodded. "This is going to be fine."

Tenzo nodded without speaking, throat too tight to let the words slip out anyway. He followed Sakura into the cool dimness of the reception area and tried to still the beating of his heart. A young man sat at a desk behind a glass enclosure, idly reading a scroll and transcribing notes into a computer terminal. His gaze slid over the pair as he rolled the scroll closed with a soft snap. When Sakura approached the desk, the man's lips twisted into an expression that made Tenzo fearful for his safety.

Sakura's sickly sweet smile as she met the man's gaze made Tenzo nearly as nervous. "We're here to see Yamanaka-san," she said as a way of greeting. Tenzo frowned at the haughty tone her voice had taken.

The receptionist scanned the ledger in front of him as if looking for their names, then frowned. "Do you have an appointment?"

Sakura's chuckle sounded anything but friendly as she stalked toward the glass cubicle. The man didn't flinch as he gazed up at her, half smile on his lips. Tenzo wasn't sure if the boy had a death wish, or if honestly didn't know who Sakura was. Imagining the latter was difficult considering her notoriety after the war.

Resting her forearms on the ledge above the man's desk, Sakura leaned forward to level him with a glare. "I don't have an appointment, and we both know that it doesn't matter."

The man's eyes flicked toward Sakura's chest before returning to her face. Tenzo didn't need to fake the growl in his voice when he moved closer to Sakura's side and spoke. "Is Yamanaka-san available or not?"

A sharp peal of laughter made Tenzo's hand ball into a fist at his side. Sakura dropped her arm to brush her fingers against Tenzo's side as a warning to calm down. The chunin eyed them for a moment, then inclined his head. "I'll page her. Have a seat while you wait."

The cheap wood and plastic squeaked as Tenzo settled into a chair that couldn't have been more uncomfortable if it tried. Sakura perched on the edge of hers, as tense as he was. Tenzo wondered why. The woman's legs bounced on the balls of her feet as she alternated her attention between the man behind the counter and the doorway that led deeper into the building. Across the room, the receptionist murmured into the telephone receiver at his desk. Then, he ignored them all together.

Tenzo didn't try to break the silence as he watched Sakura in his peripheral vision. He wondered if she knew the man behind the desk, if she came here for counseling after difficult missions. The thought hadn't crossed his mind until they stepped into the building. Tenzo never felt an inclination to discuss what happened as a part of his job; it went against everything expected of shinobi. He had assumed that everyone else operated under a similar ideology.

From their earliest training, ninja and Anbu were expected to divorce themselves from the emotion of their lives. The tools wielded by Konoha didn't need human limitations; fear and love were more deadly than any weapon in the midst of battle. Tenzo had seen it time and time again: a teammate throwing themselves into harm's way when they should have held back. Naruto had done it more often than Tenzo cared to recount, living through sheer stubbornness it seemed. That, and the nine tails healing chakra. But normal shinobi didn't have that luxury; they needed cool, unswerving logic.

The careful balance between death and life was all that Tenzo had ever known. He'd been in the black ops since he was practically a child, but Sakura had been afforded different opportunities. When Tenzo had taken over leading Team Seven, Kakashi had filled him in on the background of each shinobi. He'd learned more with reconnaissance of his own. Sakura's parents were civilians, her father was a merchant, and her mother stayed home to look after the house. There had been no reason for Sakura to choose the shinobi lifestyle. Tenzo wondered what had drawn the woman to enter the ninja academy, but he hadn't asked. It seemed too personal.

Even now, Sakura spent most of her time inside the village in her role as a medic. The hospital couldn't afford to be without her for long, especially after Tsunade and Shizune left. Sakura could have opted to be taken off the mission roster entirely if she wanted. No one would call it cowardice to admit that she was better suited for life in Konoha. Except for Sakura. The woman had stood side by side with people like Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi. Tenzo doubted that she would let anyone take a risk that she wasn't willing to shoulder herself.

Before Tenzo could finish organizing his thoughts, the doorway beside the reception area opened and Yamanaka Ino swept into the room. Seafoam blue eyes slid past the receptionist with a look of reprimand, then settled on Sakura. Surprise sparked in her face at finding Tenzo next to her, but the woman covered it quickly. She held the door open with her body and offered a tight smile. "Sakura, Yamato-san," the girl bowed. "If you'll come with me, please."

Ino obviously hadn't known to expect them, and Tenzo wasn't sure if he felt relieved or worried that Sakura hadn't prepared her for the meeting. He rose mechanically from the chair and followed the women through the reception area. Blowing out a nervous breath, Tenzo tried not to think about how the door shutting behind him felt like a trap closing around his neck. Several rooms and hallways branched off the main passage, but Ino led them through the labyrinth without getting sidetracked or attempting to make small talk.

The blond showed Sakura and Tenzo to an office that was less intimidating than he'd expected. Warm sunlight slanted through the shade that were partially drawn to give the impression of privacy while making the space inviting. The walls were paneled with pale wood that reflected the light in a warm manner, driving shadows away. On the desk, lilac and cream flowers had been arranged in a tasteful vase, adding a floral scent to the air. The atmosphere was meant to be calming, but it left Tenzo on edge.

Indicating a low couch on one side of the room, Ino took the high backed chair across from it. A table separated the two like a too small ocean. As Tenzo stared down at the pale blue fabric, he fought the urge to laugh this meeting off as a big mistake. He didn't think either of the women would try to stop him from leaving if he went for the door. Even if they did, he was stronger than both of them. Sakura settled on one side of the couch and gazed up with an expectant look. Tenzo swallowed the lump in his throat and lowered himself beside her.

Ino crossed her legs at the knee, tapping one foot in the air to some beat that only she heard. She picked up a notebook and pen that were waiting on the side table, then nodded. "So, what can I do for you?"

Tenzo's heart rate increased, drawing his attention to the soft pulse of blood in his temples and roar in his ears. He couldn't have spoken, even if he wanted to. After the silence stretched for an uncomfortable minute, Sakura broke it. "You remember when I told you I needed psych evaluations on Anbu?"

Ino's eyebrows rose before she reined in her surprise at finding out that Tenzo was in Anbu. Smoothing the emotion from her face, she inclined her head. "Yeah, but you left out the part where you drag them to my office personally."

Sakura chuckled, a light shade of pink coloring her cheeks. The sound eased some of the tension in Tenzo's shoulder, as did the way her green eyes cut toward him with an encouraging smile. "Only the difficult ones," Sakura teased. As the soft laughter died down, she continued. "Yamato has been struggling with—"

"Let me stop you there," Ino interrupted, holding up a hand. Her gentle smile focused on Sakura. "It's obvious that you want to fix whatever this is, but you can't."

Tenzo felt Sakura tense beside him as she opened her mouth to argue. Ino spoke before she could get the words out. "If I brought you a patient and told you all of their symptoms, would you still examine them?" The woman waited for Sakura's lips to compress into a thin line as she nodded, then continued. "This is no different."

Turquoise eyes met Tenzo's, and his stomach dropped. Despite the fear that made his body tense in preparation for an attack, he knew that Ino was right; Sakura could only carry him so far. The idea of reliving all the things that he'd been trying to hide for so long made him nauseated. He couldn't imagine going through it without having something to take the edge off, even after the progress that he'd made.

The room blurred at the edges, shrinking to the brilliance of Ino's eyes and the sharpness in her gaze. Tenzo felt like he was drowning; he couldn't draw a full breath. Something fluttered against his hand, light and insistent enough to draw his attention. Gazing down, he stared at Sakura's fingers brushing against his then pulling back like frightened fish. Tenzo exhaled.

Ino frowned at the movement, but didn't draw any attention to it. Instead, she stayed focused on Tenzo. "If you want to complete your evaluation, I can make some time now. Then, I'll clear you for active duty, or we can discuss any additional requirements. Is that something you're interested in?"

Staring resolutely forward, Tenzo nodded.

#Dimi Writes #My Writing #Healing Hands #Tenzo #Yamato #Sakura Haruno #Tenzo/Sakura #YamaSaku #Slow Burn #Mental health fic

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