Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Given The Chance ❯ A Proposal ( Chapter 45 )

Chapter #45

A Proposal

 

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Co.

 

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“Aw man,” Cassie sighed, staring blankly at her hospital room ceiling, “how did I end up in the hospital like this, again?”

 

Visiting hours in the hospital only lasted so long, and since Sakura insisted Cassie stay the night for observation she was confined to the tiny room with nothing to do. She wasn't allowed to be up and about too much, but there wouldn't have been much point to it anyway since someone could only limp around the hallways in a circle for so long.

 

Funny, during visiting hours everyone came in, there wasn't a moment there wasn't someone coming in or out of the nurse. Whether it was a friend visiting or the nurse making sure Cassie hadn't pulled out her IV - the staff quickly learned she had a tendency to do so - there was always someone in the room. Cassie was tired from overexerting herself, and almost wished she could just go back to sleep, but suddenly found herself missing the company when everyone was forced to leave.

 

Especially Gaara, who outright refused to leave the room. He upset a lot of the hospital staff that attempted to convince him to leave the hospital.

 

Kazekage or not, there were still rules about visitors, and the nurses - and doctors - were the ones unfortunate to attempt to get him to leave first. After many, many, failed attempts Lee, Sakura, and Sasuke stepped in and were able to get him out unscathed.

 

Despite being tired, it was still almost impossible to sleep. Eventually Cassie gave up counting ceiling tiles and rolled over to check the clock.

 

It was early, very early, the sun wouldn't even be starting to rise quite yet. And Cassie still hadn't gotten more than a few minutes of sleep.

 

Cassie closed her eyes again, trying to find the will to get just a little more sleep, but she couldn't.

 

After a few moments she felt someone's fingers gently brush her bangs out of her face, and she couldn't help but smile even when she was trying to sleep, “It took you longer than I would have guessed to get here. What kept you up?”

 

“Sakura ordered Kankuro to keep an eye on me,” answered Gaara softly, “I had to wait until he fell asleep.”

 

“I figured,” giggled Cassie, “I just thought he would fall asleep sooner.”

 

“You haven't slept at all,” stated Gaara calmly.

 

“I was never fond of hospitals, it makes it hard to sleep, and I think I'm too anxious to sleep right now.”

 

Without a word Gaara began undoing the straps that attached his gourd to his back and picked up the crutches leaning against the wall. He slipped one of his arms under Cassie's back, making her sit upright, and then started adjusting the straps to fit her slim shoulders.

 

Cassie cocked an eyebrow, “What are you doing?”

 

“If you aren't going to get proper sleep here, then I'll just have to take you somewhere else,” he answered. He picked Cassie up piggyback style - minding her legs - and adjusted the weight around so he could move easier. “Hold on tight.”

 

“Ya,” she responded quietly with a small nod. She squirmed a little, trying to get comfy, and trying to adjust the weight of the heavy gourd.

 

The weight of the gourd decreased, and Gaara glanced back at Cassie, “Is it better now?”

 

Cassie nodded, `The gourd is heavier than it looks, and Gaara carries it around all the time. He makes it look easy.'

 

Gaara maneuvered easily through the window - after Cassie scribbled a quick note for the nurses - and into the windy desert night. The harsh waves of sand in the wind naturally repelled off of them so they weren't completely covered in it by the time they made it back to Gaara's house.

 

Instead of heading through the door and waking up Kankuro, they slipped through Gaara's window, and he quietly set Cassie down on the bed.

 

The petite raven haired girl immediately fell to her side, burying her face in the pillows, and curling up like she always did when she slept. She may not have been able to sleep, but she was physically exhausted, and her body relished the chance to lie down on something more comfortable than a hospital bed.

 

For someone who never slept, Gaara had an awesome bed.

 

Thud.

 

There was a loud noise when Gaara set his gourd on the floor and then sat on the bed, pulling Cassie in close to him.

 

“How could you go through all that time pretending nothing was wrong,” Gaara sighed.

 

Cassie yawned, nuzzling into Gaara's chest, and intertwining her small, delicate, fingers with his, “You'd be surprised what you can do when it's to protect someone you love. If I'd done anything, if I'd approached you, it might have just made things worse. All I could do was be patient, and not let anyone worry.”

 

“You have every right in the world to hate me…” Gaara hissed. The comment was mostly directed at himself, and all the times when he never remembered her.

 

“There is enough hate in the world, no sense in making more.”

 

There were those odd comments Cassandra was known for. She didn't think like most other people, she had an odd way of thinking, or rather just an unusual way of explaining herself. But that was one of the reasons Gaara found her so precious to him.

 

“When I didn't have my memory,” Gaara paused, admitting that irked him, “I would always hear your voice. They were old memories, and I never believed they were true… But I couldn't help but always think of how your voice sounded to me, and without knowing it, I would always miss it. Without knowing it, I would always miss you. There is no way in hell I want you to disappear from my life ever again…”

 

“You mean that?” Cassie's eyes darted uncertainly down to her abdomen, wondering what he would think. Would he approve? Would he want to be a father?

 

“Of course,” Gaara's hand slid around to her stomach, “No matter what, I want you by my side because, with you around, I feel like I can do anything.”

 

`He knows.' She knew instantly, and smiled, “He looks a lot like you.”

 

“He has a lot of you in him too.”

 

The red headed Kazekage thought back and tried to picture the little boy, Ryuu. The first thing that came to mind was the boy's large childish eyes that held the beginnings of dark circles around their edges. They had the same shape as Gaara's, but they were much wider, and the shade of green was very different. It was deeper, and darker, similar to the colour of seaweed, with a multitude of different shades of lighter green that added shine in the light.

 

So very similar her eyes.

 

Ryuu, their son, the one that helped both of them wake up from a deep sleep that would have killed them.

 

“You're going to be a good mother,” stated Gaara confidently.

 

The way he remembered Cassie snuggling and coddling her young child was exactly how he'd expect her to act. As unusual as she could be at times, she still had a predictable element about her.

 

`But there is one thing…' thought Gaara, “...I'm nineteen now, aren't I?”

 

Cassie giggled, “Last time I checked. I couldn't give you the birthday present I'd been saving for you, so I had to get Lee to drop it off for me.”

 

“But that's not all,” murmured Gaara softly, “A Kazekage my age is expected to take a wife.”

 

There was a pause. Cassie lifted her head tiredly to look up at Gaara, trying to get the rest of what he was going to say out. She had a distinct feeling … but she needed to hear it with her own ears.

 

“And there is no one else on earth I would rather have by my side,” Gaara breathed.

 

Another long pause, and an unreadable look from little Iwate Cassandra, whose brain was taking its time registering the situation.

 

Gaara blinked, the elongated pause making him feel uneasy, “Are you going to say something…?”

 

A big smile spread across Cassie's face and she wrapped her arms around his middle happily.

 

Gaara just asked Cassie to marry him. Almost every girl dreams of getting married one day, and starting a family. And with everything bad put behind them, all they had to do was look forward and see their future.

 

A family. The two of them. Together.

 

“I love you.”

 

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Technically this is the `final chapter' but I can resist making an epilogue, especially since I don't like this chapter all that much. With my insane schedule lately it's like my brain went on vacation and left me here with my stacks of homework. The last chapter will make me satisfied or, so help me god, I am putting my foot through the goddamn keyboard!!!

 

I still love the reviews, but since I have to work early in the morning I have no time to reply to each of them (NOT MY FAULT DAMN IT!!! Sob). I love all of my reviews so keep sending them please!!!!

 

Lil_Pix

 

Thanks to my reviewers:

 

SupersexyPooka, Wolf22222, Gaara_Freak, Dudekiller, Valinor's Twilight, theForbidden, Amique, fightingpheonix36, Gaara252, GaaraLuva, AnimeGirl214, Hiei81, and everyone else!!