DAY 23: BREAKFAST

[norainu]

That hadn't felt like an entire night.

And his goddamn head hurt. Pounded, even. Enough that he wondered if he was going to end up playing another round of "Christen the nurse" this morning.

Maybe it was because he'd spent so much time and energy trying to find Nowe. That could be the reason behind both those problems. Just the thought of it made his stomach turn, made him want to fucking choke something.

Still, there was shit to do. He forced himself out of bed to put away his pens and the other leftovers from the adventures that didn't happen last night. He'd have to try to talk to Sora today, to see if they could just do tonight what they were going to do last night... and to see if the kid was doing alright.

...he just wished his head would stop hurting. That was probably the result of just how badly he'd overreached himself the previous morning.

The nurse that showed up to get him was cheerful. He grunted at her, listening to her with only half an ear until she mentioned all the excitement, about someone pretending to be a patient, all that crap that Landel had mentioned.

Renji gave her a narrow-eyed look. "Dr. Landel is a goddamn lying coward, and he's lying about that, too," he said. Whether it was true or not, there was only so much good cheer he could take on a shitty morning. "I hope he chokes on a cock." No matter how much venom he put in that statement, it wasn't enough.

Then he had to listen to a lecture about language and gratitude for the rest of the walk to the cafeteria, so maybe it wasn't worth it after all. She dragged him through the breakfast line, and he ended up with granola and toast and tea and a cinnamon roll, because not even a shitty fucking night could ruin his sweet tooth. Though that thing was looking a little too sweet.

The cafeteria was pretty much empty; he had his run of the place. He sat himself about as far from the doors as he could get, and proceeded to stare at his breakfast.

Comments

[youthfulrocklee.livejournal.com]

It was embarrassing, to say the least, that one, Lee had not realized that someone was behind him, and two, that when he whirled around, he choked on his words. He knew, somewhere in the back of his mind, that it had been a possibility that he would find someone there he knew. Just like Sakura, a part of him was thrilled to see someone he knew, and the other part of him was extremely sad that his friends were facing these horrors as well.

So he had never exactly been the best with words, per se. True, he had a way of amusing people with his long speeches of hope and youthfulness, but there was more to that. He refused to let his mind go down that road, however.

"S-Sakura-san! I had not realized that you were here, or I would have sought to help you during the horrible night of terror!"
There was a little voice in the back of his head that was snickering, and going 'that's a load of bullshit, Lee. She would have helped you, not the other way around.' There was no way that he would let that get to his mouth, however. He had never been known to curse, nor to talk to someone in anything less than the most polite of forms.

He gave one of his famous smiles that shown all of his sparkling teeth, as a stab of pain shot through his heart; he knew what had caused it. Sadness and sorrow, yet like her, he had to remain strong. His friends, both from Konoha and his newfound friends, needed to have a ray of light in this darkness, and if it meant him being his usual self, then so be it.

"Please forgive me, Sakura-san. Had I been stronger, I would have fought the hardest of battles to make sure that you did not end up in this awful situation. However, I know that you are strong, and it saddens me to think that such a beautiful flower has been captured. To think that you have been caught unawares by the demons that run about here brings chills to my spine. However, I must state my deepest belief that if one puts the greatest of efforts in training, a cinnamon roll would not cause too much harm."

With as much zeal as he could muster, Lee grabbed a plate and placed a cinnamon roll onto it. Guy was probably cringing somewhere, but by all that was good in life, he bloody well deserved it after this.

"Please, Sakura-san, tell me what you would like for breakfast? I may not be able to do much for you, but it would bring me great honor to carry your meal to a table in order to discuss what has happened here."

He still found Sakura beautiful despite the lack-luster situation, and his inner voice sighed, even though he would not make such an action. Perhaps he would never gain her love, but at least he would protect her and those he cared for, no matter the cost.

[she-bloomed.livejournal.com]

Well, if she'd had any doubts about this being the real Lee, he certainly put them ro rest quickly enough. Instead of being tiring, Sakura found his exuberance kind of contagious as she held up her hands in an effort to get her friend to slow down a little bit.

"It's good to see you too," she laughed. "But don't worry about it. From what I can tell, nobody here could've prevented being kidnapped or... whatever it was they did to get us here." She bit her lip and looked away for a second. She'd almost added 'even Sasuke-kun' to that thought. How awkward would that have been? "Hey, we should just look on the bright side, right? At least we know we can count on each other in a place like this."

Perhaps some of the positive attitude was a little forced, but, honestly, it was all Sakura had right now. Though she might not say so, she'd probably be drawing a lot of her strength here from Lee and Naruto.

"Ah, sure, if you want to." Sakura blinked, a little bewildered by the offer to carry her breakfast. She could've managed easily enough, but it probably made Lee happy to be able to help out. It was just the type of person he was. "I don't know a lot, but I've got some information I can probably fill you in on too."

[youthfulrocklee.livejournal.com]

Lee noticed the way that Sakura turned her face, obviously keeping something to herself. It worried him, but he knew that if there was something she did not want to say, then it would merely aggravate her to push further.

Worse, however, were the words that had prompted her to turn her face in the first place. True, he had been surprised that he had been captured so easily, but to think of some of his other, more powerful friends being captured just as easily was very disconcerting.

For a split second, a frown marred his face before he wiped it off his face. How odd it was that here, of all places, he was letting the less enthusiastic, verbose and happy-go-lucky side of him show. That would certainly not do.

"Yes, it is indeed hopeful to know that we may fight to protect the many people who have been stuck in this nightmare," he said, his usual smiling face plastered on. He slowly began to take food that he believed might be good, excluding the cinnamon bun, hoping that Sakura would tell him what to get her. At least they bothered to feed them.

And then, after a few seconds, he asked the question that he was partially dreading to ask. "Sakura-san, are their others from Konoha here? I would be very grieved to hear that our good friends have been captured as well, though it will be best for me to know now. The more knowledge, the better the counterattack, after all!"

[she-bloomed.livejournal.com]

To see even Lee a little down in the dumps was difficult for Sakura. It was a testimony to exactly what a place like Landels could do to a person, and she'd only been here for a mere day. It was painful to think about what things might've been like for the veterans. Still, difficult as it was, Sakura had resolved, since day one, that she would be the strength that so many of their friends had been to her. If Lee needed support, even just enough to smile again, she would give it to him without buckling even a little.

"Just some eggs and granola are fine," Sakura piped up, snagging some juice herself so that he didn't have to worry about that too. His next question earned a slight and visible hesitation on her part as she bit her lip. It was for the best, really. She had to get over this.

"I ran into Naruto, Gaara, and two rogue nin that you probably don't know. Zabuza and Haku. Iruka-sensei should be here too, but I haven't seen Naruto in a while. Or Gaara." Sakura imagined that Lee was more acquainted with the latter than she was. "And... Sasuke-kun is here as well." The last sentence seemed to be forced out hastily as the young kunoichi quickly set her mouth in a firm line, even if the hurt in her green eyes always betrayed her before she continued quietly. "I know he's an... an enemy of Konoha now, but he seems to be willing to work with us to get out of here at least."

[youthfulrocklee.livejournal.com]

As Lee was getting what Sakura asked for, something inside of his brain clicked. The hesitation, the way that Sakura looked, and the sorrow in her eyes. It was always the sorrow that hurt him the most, though he would never admit it to anyone. He understood the pain of another very well, and maybe that was why he always attempted to cheer others up.

To think that some of Konoha's best had been captured, as well as two rogue nin, Gaara and Sasuke was terrifying. Yet that was obviously not on his mind right at the moment.

There was no preamble, not even a small one, before Lee simply burst out laughing. It made so much sense now how she was acting. There was no doubt that Lee was able to feel different types of emotions despite how he acted. Yet it was simply not possible for him to keep a grudge against anyone, even if the said person was taking others' affections away. True, he wanted Sakura's attention. He had always wanted to impress her, but the truth of the matter was that no matter who Sakura chose to associate with, he would always be happy for her. After all, was it not better to have love and lost than to never have loved at all? Now, if he could just remember who had said that...

"It is clear that Sasuke-san is not as evil as everyone in Konoha wish him to be. He has seen the light of goodness, and I am sure that you and Naruto will be able to convince him to come back! Be happy, Sakura-san! This is the greatest of chances to make your deepest wish come true!"

[she-bloomed.livejournal.com]

Sakura blinked twice when Lee burst out laughing. She really hadn't been expecting that kind of reaction from him. Everyone else had kept with the morose, somber theme whenever she mentioned Sasuke's name. She was almost a little annoyed when his words really hit her.

Even if she wasn't ready to be faced with Sasuke, he was here. Seeing him again and having another chance to get through to him was exactly what she and Naruto had been working towards. It was the catalyst that had brought about her change, and the star she'd been reaching for, if she dared to be poetic. Lee was right, and Sakura had to appreciate his enthusiasm and the attempt to cheer her up. She laughed a little, not loudly but the gesture certainly wasn't forced.

"Ah, you're right, Lee. I shouldn't be so down about it. I mean, I've got a chance to show him exactly how far I've come!" Maybe she still cared about impressing Sasuke a little, if only to prove that she wasn't helpless anymore. "I'm not so sure about that light of goodness stuff." It was Sasuke after all. She had to laugh again. "But if we all stick together, he'll come around. I'm sure of it."

[youthfulrocklee.livejournal.com]

Lee grinned as he heard Sakura laugh softly. Good, he had done exactly what he wanted to. If he could do anything for her, then it would be to give her hope for the future.

Of course, there was the little part of him that was a bit down. He would not admit that, however. The most important thing to him would be to make his friends happy. After all, it didn't go right through his head that people were perturbed by his appearance and his attitude, so he felt that every friend he had was a blessing.

"Sakura-san, you have come a long way down the path of the shinobi. I would tremble if I were your enemy, for I know that you would punch me through a wall." He laughed again, though not as loud as before. The idea of being punched through a wall was actually quite an invigorating image considering everything around them.

Just as suddenly as his laugh, however, he became more somber. "It is true that Sasuke-san is surrounded by darkness. Yet, there is always a light somewhere deep inside a person, Sakura-san. You and Naruto, and those once his friend...I believe that is Sasuke-san's light. Together, we can show him the path to the light. After all, if we believed that once a person is lost they cannot change, what would be the point of struggling like a wounded beast? No, there is hope for him, Sakura-san. I believe in you. After all, you care for him so deeply that it upsets you, so I know that you will try to make things right. And I shall help you in your endevour however possible! Let us go sit down and consume this nutrious meal!"