Hey, would you look at that. I'm alive ^^

I know, I know, I suck when it comes to updating my stories. . .whcih is why I'm now sticking to one-shots since they seem to be a hell of a lot easier. . . for me at least.

Anyways, this is my first SasuHina and I wasn't even going to post it but the idea wouldn't leave me alone so. . .yeah, here ya go :]

Many thanks to the amazing Isabella Rosalie who beta'd this thing. Mwah! Thanks hon!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto becasue if I did. . . then it would be all too wonderful.

Retinoblastoma – cancer that originates in the eye

Hyuuga Hinata was ready to die if worse came to worse.

After all the years of doctors, chemo, specialists, and experimental treatments she was simply done with it. It wasn't that she didn't want her family to spend anymore money on her or that it was painful, far from it, her family had enough money to spare and pain was nothing new to her.

But it was the hope that she couldn't handle.

The hope that bloomed in her loved ones whenever some new treatment was paid for and they were left to "wait and see". The same hope that died whenever they realized that the disease remained.

She hated it. Hated seeing the hope eek out of them all and having them turn to her with their depressingly weak smiles, watery eyes, and words of "the next time will work". She couldn't stand to see them all walk away so heartbroken whenever the cancer remained or got worse.

So she stopped agreeing to them. No more treatments, no more surgeries, no more experimental stuff. She never said it out loud, but her friends and family knew her stand on the matter and after the first few times they came to her with new ideas she simply smiled and shook her head not agreeing to whatever new treatment was discovered.

Her cousin was the first on to confront her.

"Why?" he said, his posture stiff and his tone formal but his eyes. . .now they spoke volumes. "Why are you just giving up?"

"I'm not giving up." She replied as she poked the so called jello. It looked more like something Kiba coughed up that time he was sick. That was a fun experience. In fact she –

"Then why won't you accept the treatments." He pleaded more strongly this time. "This one has merit. It could work, you could get better and –"

"And when it doesn't work, then what?" she said softly, still not looking up at Neji and opting to stare at the green goop of jello.

"You can't think like that. You'll get better. . . you have to." His voice dropped and she could see his hands gripping the railing of her bed in a white-knuckle grip.

"I'm tired Neji." A tiny sigh escaped her lips, "I don't want my last few months to be wasted on wishes." She looked up at him then, her small hand reaching out to touch his larger one. "I want to spend it with the people I love."

Pale luminescent eyes that were so like yet so different finally looked at her. A silent battle seemed to take place in a matter of seconds between them. Neji finally sighed and his shoulders drooped in defeat. Hinata smiled and let her hand drop from his.

"It's my choice. I'm happy with it." She said, smiling at him without a trace of sadness.

"When did you get so stubborn?" He asked finally, holding the hand of the woman he loved like a sister.

"When did you get so soft?" she retorted with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "Oh I know, it was when you started to date Tenten." She laughed when color tinged her cousins' cheeks.

"Who told you about that." He asked with a frown that didn't hide his blush at all.

"Tenten did. I'm a little hurt you didn't." she teased.

"I didn't want to distract you." He jumped slightly when she slapped his arm with her free hand.

"You jerk." She said with a laugh, "I want to know. Tell me everything."

The next person to confront her was her sister.

"Why Onee-chan!" she sobbed over Hinata's blanket. "Why!"

Hinata smiled sadly and stroked her sister's hair. "Hanabi." She said softly but sternly.

"No!" she looked up, her pale eyes filled with hurt and anger. "Do you want to leave us! I- I thought that you never gave up, wasn't that what you said! I -" a sob seemed to choke her and more tears flooded from her already puffy eyes.

Hinata pulled her sister to her with more strength that it seemed she possessed. The younger Hyuuga collapsed in Hinata's arms and held her tightly.

"I never intend to leave you." Hinata said softly, a sad smile on her pink lips. "You know that."

"T-then why." Hanabi's voice was muffled.

"Because I'd rather spend time with the people I love." She said as she stroked her sister's hair as she sobbed into her chest. "It's my choice. I'm happy with it. Besides, there's still a chance I'll get better on my own."

"I don't want y-you to go!" Hanabi wailed and clung desperately to her sister. Hinata could do nothing but hold her back just as tightly.

Eventually Hanabi's tears slowed and she just sat with her sister, enjoying the comfort of her silence and knowing that she might not have much time left.

News traveled fast. After both Neji and Hanabi confronted her, the rent of her friends started to show up wanting to ask why she was giving up. And she would answer each time with a small smile and tell them that it was her choice.

Eventually they stopped asking and starting to simply spend time with her.

Though Hinata was never particularly close with the other Konoha High graduates that were in her class and circle of friends, she was still well liked by most if not all.

Neji would come and sit by her bedside almost everyday and tell her what was going on at him with his back slouched slightly, his eyes rarely meeting hers, and he never stayed with her for too long. She knew her decision was painful for him to accept since for once this was something he could not protect her from.

He was about to leave one day when Hinata placed her small hand on his wrist and laugh softly – the sound of small ringing bells – and his lips twitched in a tiny smile, his back straightened out a bit, and he finally looked her in the eye. Since then his stays have increased and he has smiled more.

When he came with Tenten, he was much more fun to talk with. The female fighter would always prod her cousin to get a rise out of him and once successful, she would send the other female a mischievous wink before leaning over towards the male and kissing him straight on the mouth. No shame in that woman. But it caused Neji to blush and sputter and the other two to laugh. It felt good to laugh so freely.

Hinata usually laughed the hardest when it was Kiba, Naruto, and Shino over. The dog lover and the hyper blonde would always yell and argue over various things from food to training to work until Shino said something quietly – so quietly that the Hyuuga never really heard it, but it caused the other two males to freeze, glance at Hinata and then suddenly sputter apologizes that usually included bowing, sobbing, and begging for mercy. She always looked to Shino with a questionable tilt of her head when this happened. He would always respond with a small twitch of his lips.

Sakura and Ino and occasionally Hanabi and Tenten with their girl talk were always the ones to make her feel the most human. It felt like she had never been in the hospital in the first place but instead they were doing what they did when they were Freshmen: painting nails, gossiping, and all around chatting like girls do. They never talked about how thin she was getting or how pale she was. They always just talked to her.

Shikamaru and Choji always snuck her in food and she loved them for it. They also were the ones to come in with news of Kurenai and Asuma's child. Even since Asuma's accident, Hinata had been worried about her old private tutor and had insisted that she stay home with her child instead of visiting her. So until she could get away, Shikamaru and Choji brought Hinata news instead.

Sai awkwardly offered her the most beautiful sketches and painting to brighten up her room which she was touched by. When the young man had transferred to their school in their senior year last year, she was the first one to welcome him after Naruto. Though they weren't particularly close, they still talked and were friendly. Sai was the one who told her straight out that she didn't always have to smile. She could frown and cry if she wanted to and he would not judge her differently. The offer touched her, but she continued to smile. Because if she didn't she was sure she would cry and that was not who she was. That was not who she wanted to be. And that was not who she wanted to be remembered as.

Lee would always show up at least once a week either by himself or with others and began a rant on how "lively" she appeared since the list time he saw her; they both knew that that one was a lie, but it was happy to hear nonetheless. He managed to lift her spirits and make her feel like she might really get better.

Yet the one that always seemed to shock her was Uchiha Sasuke. He never came alone but always with someone else, usually Naruto, but on occasion Neji. He always sat away from her and rarely spoke unless it was to banter with Naruto or add input to whatever Neji said. But other than that he never really spoke to her directly despite the fact that she probably knew him the longest out of everyone save Neji and Hanabi.

So her surprise was genuine when he walked into her room alone. She closed her book and set it down next to her as he sat in the chair next to her bed. They were silent for a moment before he seemed to sigh and turn to her.

"Naruto went with Shikamaru and Choji to help Shikamaru propose to Temari," Hinata smiled brightly at this; Shikamaru had been seeing the woman for years in a long-distance relationship and it was about time, "and Ino and Sakura and helping him prepare for a wedding. Lee, Kiba, and Shino and helping Tenten rebuild her dojo since a drunk driver ran into it," at that Hinata frowned slightly; she had heard about that and was only thankful that no one was hurt, "And Neji and your bratty sister are at some meeting thing with the rest of your father's company and the Uchiha's."

At that Hinata raised an eyebrow. "Why aren't you there then?"

He turned to her then, his dark eyes boring into her pale ones, "You're joking right? We both know I hate those things." Hinata smiled at that. Though they were not close, Hinata had grown up with Sasuke. Having parents who were both rivals and partners in the weapons/fighting business made it so that they saw quite a lot of each other over the years. They had both grown accustomed to one another and both knew the other hated going to meetings.

But when Hinata turned over the title of successor to her sister and Sasuke's older brother died leaving him as the company heir, they began to see less and less of each other despite going to the same high school.

"You never change." She said with a smile.

"You don't either." He said with a smirk. They sat in a comfortable silence for a bit. "You remind me of Itachi in that way."

Hinata was surprised by that. Sasuke rarely spoke about his older brother. Uchiha Itachi was well known for the fact that he was a prodigy, a genius when it came to numbers and business. As well as the fact that he died of a cancer similar to Hinata's own. The only difference was that while hers might kill her, his was confirmed that it would.

"He didn't give up either." He said, his face tilted up towards her ceiling. It occurred to her then that out of all of her friends, Sasuke had never asked her why she had "given up". He had accepted her decision without question. "He also made everyone around him worry as well." At that he met her eyes again and Hinata glanced away.

"I don't mean to." She said softly, her hands twisting in her blanket. "I just. . ." She froze when his hand reached over and pulled hers away from her wrinkled blanket.

"Don't worry about it Hyuuga." He said with a tiny smirk. "Just smile for them and I'm sure they'll all forgive you."

He left shortly after that, but since that visit he made an effort to visit her at least every other day to just talk, though she never expected him when he came.

Hot tears trailed down her pale cheeks and no matter how much she tried to will the tears back, they just kept coming.

Hinata had just met with her father, who talked about how much he was sorry and regretted that this was happening to her and how much he wished she didn't have to go though it. She just kept telling him it was okay with a small smile.

He was halfway to the door when he turned to his eldest, who was reclining in her hospital bed. "I'm so proud of you." He said before quickly leaving.

Hinata was stunned, but more than that she was unprepared. She had prepared herself for her friends and family to talk to her and look at her with sad wounded eyes (no matter how hard they tried to hide it form her), but that threw her off.

She wasn't expecting to hear those words. Words that she dreamed of since she was a young girl.

Hinata cried harder.

That was how Sasuke found her: sniffling into her sleeve as she tried to quiet her tears.

He was by her side quickly, his hand pulling her hands from her face. Her glistening eyes looked up in shock and her lips parted in a small o of surprise.

"S-Sasuke." She stuttered, embarrassed to be caught in a weak moment. "I-I was just –" whatever excuse she was about to say was cut off when he pulled her to his chest and held her in a strong hug.

"You don't have to hide all the time." He said after a short silence. This offer was different than Sai's; Sasuke's seemed to stem from understanding while Sai's came from concern and pity.

She couldn't stop the tears that flooded from her eyes now. She didn't even know why she was crying and clinging to him, but she did. And he just held her in his strong arms until she was left dry and puffy eyed.

"I-I'm sorry." She said to him when he handed her a tissue.

"Don't apologize." He said, his face not showing whatever he was thinking. "You have no reason to."

"I'm sor –" His hand clamped over her mouth and his dark eyes met her light ones in a meaningful manner.

"I mean it." He said in a firm yet gentle voice. When she nodded, he sighed. "You're too nice for your own good." He said before handing her a small box.

"What's this?" she asked her voice slightly stuffy.

"A gift. Open in smart one." He said with a small smirk.

She lifted the lid and gasped at the gift. It was a small leather bound journal with beautiful flowers stitched into the soft cover.

"When Itachi was trapped in here, he liked to write down his thoughts." He said uncomfortably before turning toward the door.

"Sasuke." He paused at her voice. "Thank you."

"For what Hyuuga?" he asked without turning.

"Everything." She never saw the way a small smile graced his lips or the way the tips of his ears turned a light pink.

"Ne, Sakura," Naruto whined, "I don't understand why you won't let me give Hinata ramen."

"Because she needs real food, not crap." The pink-haired woman snapped. Hinata watched with wide curious eyes as the couple bantered. She had only recently learned about their relationship since apparently neither wanted to distress her.

But when she found out she told them both that she was happy for them. She would always love Naruto, but only as a very dear and precious friend. She knew that, and so did he now. Above all else Hinata wanted her friends to be happy, and though they bantered, they were obviously happy.

"Would you two stop being so loud." Sasuke said from the other side of Hinata, his head resting on his arms that were resting on Hinata's bed. "You're annoying Hinata."

"What?" she turned toward the dark haired male, her head tilted in question "No they're not."

"Yeah teme!" Naruto shouted, turning form his girlfriend to his best friend.

"Fine. Then you're annoying me." he said with a scowl. Sakura sighed and smacked Naruto on the head who started to whine again. Sasuke sighed and turned towards Hinata who started to giggle.

"Have you been using the journal?" he asked her softly so only she could hear under the bantering couple.

"Mhm." She said and tapped the gift on her small side table. "I have indeed."

"And?" he questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"And what?" she asked with a confused tilt of her head.

"And what have you written?"

"Oh." Her cheeks suddenly burned and it did not go unnoticed by Sasuke.

"What is it?" he leaned closer, a smirk on his lips.

"N-nothing!" she quickly defended, her hands coming up to hide her face.

"Hinata." He purred, enjoying the way her face flushed as he got closer. "Tell me." The young woman just shook her head, hiding her face in her hands. "Fine. I'll just read it myself." He would have grabbed the journal but Hinata seemed to jump and dive for it, knocking the rest of her books off the small desk and forcing Sasuke to jump forward to steady her.

"You c-can't read it." She stuttered softly, her cheeks still tinged pink. Sasuke only smirked in response.

Neither noticed the way that they had the attention of the other two in the room.

"Do you like Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked Hinata after Naruto and Sasuke left to go get food to bring back.

"W-what?" Hinata couldn't meet her friend's eyes.

"Well, do you?" the pinkette prodded gently. She watched her sick friend purse her lips before nodding slightly, a cute blush adorning her cheeks. "Then you should tell him." She urged, happy for her friend.

"I can't!" Hinata insisted, drawing her knees to her chest. "It wouldn't be fair to him." She murmured.

Sakura was silent. Of course Hinata would think that. As far as she knew the cancer at best would blind her and at worst would kill her. After she stopped treatment she could only wait and see how nature would take its course. So far, her eye-sight had dimmed some leaving things farther away a blurry. But that was it. . . for now.

"You should still tell him." Sakura said softly. "It wouldn't be fair for him to find out, you know, later." Hinata gnawed on her bottom lips and sighed. She leaned her head back against her headboard.

"I guess." She whispered. A commotion outside her door drew her attention.

"Here's your chance." Sakura said with a sly smile.

"You like Hinata don't you." Naruto said to Sasuke, completely serious for once.

Sasuke frowned, "And what would give you that impression." His so-called best friend just stepped in front of him, his blue eyes staring into his own black. His frown deepened. "What does it matter if I do?"

"Tell her." The blonde said as he shifted the bag of take-out in his arms.

"No." the dark-haired male said back, his own empty arms crossed over his chest. "I'm not going to burden her like that."

"But doesn't she deserve the chance to tell you how she feels?" Naruto pressed,

his voice rising as they reached Hinata's door.

"Shut up dobe. You don't know what you're talking about." Sasuke hissed as he yanked the door open only to run into Sakura.

"Whoops." The pinkette said with a bright smile before slipping past Sasuke. "I need to borrow Naruto for a moment. Here." She shoved the bag of food at the frowning male before she began to drag her loud boyfriend away.

Sasuke scowled as they walked away before he turned to Hinata. He sat next to her with the bag of take-out sitting next to him. He glanced up at her and smirked at the way her cheeks flushed.

"Everything okay?" he asked and his smirk increased when she just nodded her head emphatically. He couldn't help but think how cute and innocent she was.

"I. . ." her voice trailed off and she clenched her hands in her sheets.

"You. . .?" he prodded as he reached over and made her hands relax their attempt to strangle her sheets. Her blush only increased but she let her hands relax. Slowly, the young woman reached over and opened up a new page in the journal that Sasuke got her. She scrawled in it quickly before passing it to him, her face glued to the sheets as if they were the most amazing things in the world.

Sasuke took the journal with a smirk and glanced down at it. He froze and blinked slowly. On a new page, scrawled in her very neat handwriting were words that he was not expecting.

I like you.

He blinked again, his face blank. He glanced up at Hinata and noticed how she was gnawing on her bottom lip. Slowly, he grabbed a pen and scrawled in the journal before standing up.

Hinata jumped slightly when his hand brushed against her chin. His dark eyes held her in place. They softened slightly and he leaned down and just barely brushed his lips against hers.

"Here." He handed her back the journal before sitting back down in his chair. She picked it up, her face flaming now.

I like you too. Written in his very practical handwriting right underneath her own.

Sakura and Naruto immediately noticed the change when they walked in the room. It might have been the way Hinata seemed to have a permanent blush which was new since she seemed to have gotten over it years ago. Or it might have been the way Sasuke was nearly smiling at the Hyuuga.

But it was probably the fact that their hands were clasped tightly.

"Well it's about time." Tenten said when she found out. She came forward with a bright smile and hugged the younger girl tightly to her, much to the displeasure of Hinata's new boyfriend.

"So this is what you wanted to tell us?" Neji asked, a frown marring his features.

Sasuke's hand reclaimed Hinata's as soon as Tenten let her go, an action that didn't go unnoticed by the others in the room.

"Yes Nii-san." Hinata said softly, a happy but nervous smile gracing her lips.

He frowned but sighed when Tenten elbowed him. "So long as you're happy." He muttered.

"I thought you said he would be hard to bring to our side." Sasuke said when the other couple left later.

"I thought he would have been." She admitted, "But I guess since I'm. . ." her words trailed off and a sad smile appeared.

Sasuke couldn't stop the painful clench in his heart. His hand tightened against hers. "When you're next scan?" he murmured, his lips brushing against her forehead.

"Day after tomorrow." She said quietly. She'd been getting these scans every other month to see if there was any change to the cancer; so far it remained the same no better but no worse. It was cause for hope even just marginally.

Sasuke scowled. "I'll be out of town that day. Stupid company meeting." Hinata smiled at his hate towards meetings.

"I'll be fine." She reassured him.

"Of course you will." He said with a smirk, "It's me I'm worried about. What will I do with myself until I get to see you the day after your scan?"

"You'll be fine." She said with a smile.

The couple sat on the bed, holding each other in companionable silence as they thought about what might happen.

Sasuke had just gotten home when his phone rang. "What." He barked into it.

"Get to the hospital. Now."

"Neji? What's going on? He demanded already heading back towards the door without bothering to change.

"Just get here."

What normally took thirty minutes took ten when Sasuke sped and ignored speeding laws. He didn't run into the hospital, but came pretty damn close to it.

"What happened?" He hissed to Neji who approached him, fear making his voice harsh.

The Hyuuga just shoved him towards Hinata's door, his own pale eyes shining with emotion. Sasuke had never seen Neji cry, and the fact that he was so close to doing so now made fear clench around his heart.

"Hinata." He called softly as he entered the room. For once the windows were drawn shut and the light was off. He could barely make out the small figure hunched over on the bed. As he approached his new girlfriend he noticed the way her shoulders shook and how her face was hidden in her hands and knees.

She didn't look up as he called her name again. She didn't move when his hands rubbed her back in soothing circles. Sasuke was never good at comforting people; that was what Itachi did in his own stoic way.

"Hinata." He murmured, "what happened?"

Her voice was so quiet and muffled by tears that he almost didn't hear her. "A miracle." She sobbed into her knees.

"The cancer seems to be. . . well, dissolving." Tsunade rested her chin on her fist. "It's still there, but. . .it's less." Her eyes softened when she turned to the young woman in the bed. "You must be a very strong woman."

"Of course she is." Neji said from his cousin's left. "She is a Hyuuga."

Hinata merely smiled at her cousin. Sasuke didn't say anything, just tightened his grip on her hands. After he found her sobbing, he managed to get the rest of the story out of her. They ran the scan as scheduled and found that the cancer around her eyes seemed to be lessening.

"Of course, it's not leaving without damage to your eyes." Tsunade said to Hinata. The dark haired woman nodded slightly. "Your eye sight had probably been damaged to some extent and they might be sensitive to bright lights."

"But. . . it's getting better, right?" she asked softly, almost as if she was afraid to ask.

Tsunade stood up, a kind smile on her lips. "Yes. But we'll keep a close eye on it just in case." She said as she exited the room.

Neji kissed the top of Hinata's head before heading for the door as well. "I'll call Hiashi and Hanabi."

Hinata leaned back against her headboard, her eyes closed. Sasuke's hand stroked her softly and she smiled.

"How do you feel?" he asked quietly, concern leaking into his voice.

"Tired. . .but very happy." She murmured, her eyes opening. Tears stung her eyes but she smiled brightly.

Sasuke gave her a tiny smile and kissed her hand. "I'm glad."

"And you?"

"Me?" he raised an eyebrow and smirked. "I'm happy for me."

"For you?" Hinata's voice was filled with confusion.

"Yes, for me." He repeated slowly. He stood up and Hinata moved over to make room on the bed for him to sit. "Because now I can take my girlfriend out and kiss her in public." Sasuke leaned in and captured her lips in a swift kiss.

Hinata blushed and giggled. "I'd like that."

So. . .how'd you like it?

Personally, I hate the ending but anything else I came up with felt forced. So I just decided to leave it as is and let you, the readers, use your imagination on what happens after.

Just clicky that little 'ol review button and let me know. ^^ I love feedback.